The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on Tuesday it was forming a new cryptocurrency task force to develop a comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for crypto assets.President Donald Trump, a crypto entrepreneur, has pledged his new administration will work to promote the industrys interests, unlike the prior administration which had clashed with it.Reuters reported this month that Commissioner Mark Uyeda, whom Trump on Monday named acting SEC Chair, and fellow Republican Commissioner Hester Peirce, were planning an overhaul of the agencys crypto policiesincluding possible guidance on when the agency deems a token to be a securitystarting as soon as this week.The SEC said in Tuesdays statement the task force aims to make comprehensive changes to how the agency approaches digital assets, including by providing regulatory clarity and making what it described as the judicious use of enforcement.The Task Force will also help lawmakers as they draft crypto-related legislation while coordinating with other federal bodies, such as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as well as state and foreign agencies, it added.Ismail Shakil and Rami Ayyub, Reuters

As a former reality TV producer and veteran campaigner, President Donald Trump knows a thing or two about stagecraft. Now back in the White House, hes regained access to the biggest stage in the world.Trumps command of his image was on full display over the course of his multi-day inaugural ceremonies. On the eve of the Inauguration, he made a joint appearance on stage with the Village People performing Y.M.C.A.. Carrie Underwood performed at his Inauguration Day ceremonies. And most notably, he signed his first executive orders on stage in Washington D.C.s Capital One arena, at a desk affixed with the presidential seal. In front of a cheering, friendly audience, Trump set the tone for what Presidential optics under his administration will look like: a rally-like show with him at the center. HOW TRUMP CURATES HIS PUBLIC IMAGETrump has a history of image-making, often relying on a mix of highbrow with low. The staged images Trump closed his campaign with, cosplaying as a McDonalds worker and garbage trucker driver, were efforts by the billionaire to visually communicate a connection to the common man. During his first term, Trump argued over photos of his Inauguration crowd size, conducted foreign policy conducive to photo ops, such as his trip to North Korea, cleared protesters in Washington to take a photo outside a church, and sought to project strength after being hospitalized with COVID-19 by taking a motorcade for the cameras. Now back in office, Trump again has access to some of the most powerful image-making capabilities in the world.U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order at Capital One arena in Washington, D.C., the United States, Jan. 20, 2025. [Photo: Li Rui/Xinhua/Getty Images]He can still plan photo-ops worthy of a practiced TV star, but he now lives in a house with a press briefing room built right into it. What the president says and does is inherently newsworthy, and he can use elements afforded him by the state as props, like Air Force One or a meeting with a world leader. He can even reschedule regular broadcast television programming, since networks often agree to do so for presidential addresses.MAGA GOES BIGFollowing his inauguration, Trump began his second term at Capital One Arena, rather than in the Oval Office, the ultimate symbol of the presidency. He signed his first executive orders with a thick sharpie that leaves a signature easily visible for the cameras, a schtick he introduced in his first term. An emcee announced each executive order before Trump signed it. When the ceremony was complete, Trump then tossed the commemorative sharpies to his supporters in the standsall in all bringing WWE-level spectacle to governance. (He signed remaining executive orders in the Oval Office later that night.)One thing about Trump is certain: Hes image-obsessed. That can be expected to continue into his second term, with optics that reinforce his desired narratives, and portray him as well-liked, strong, and a man of the people.In the modern presidency, concern for image must rank with concern for substance, Richard Nixon wrote in his memoirs. Its a lesson Trumps learned well.

Gensler and SWA Group are among the architecture studios that have completed a 142-hectare Walmart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas that includes mass-timber office buildings and two artificial lakes.The Home Office campus includes over 30 buildings, including parking garages, shops, a hotel and a fitness distributed across a sprawling campus designed by landscape architect SWA Group to reflect the local Arkansas environment.Walmart has opened a new HQ in Bentonville designed by Gensler, SWA and othersWalmart announced last year it would be relocating its remote office staff to the Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters, where the brand was founded in 1962.Gensler was tasked with the overall campus design and its twelve office buildings, while architecture studios such as Duda|Paine Architect and Page designed the on-site Walton Family Whole Health & Fitness centre and a childcare facility, respectively.The campus contains more than 30 buildings across 142 hectaresThe numerous buildings are grouped closely together, interlaced with walking paths and pedestrian bridges. Courtyards sit between some, while a large amphitheatre is located at the "heart" of the campus.On either end of the campus, two large water bodies capture stormwater for irrigation, while a thin stream snakes through a far corner. The south lake, the larger of the two, is located in a large greenspace, while the north lake sits in front of the fitness centre.Its landscape design reflects Arkansas's native topology. The photo is courtesy of WalmartAccording to Gensler, the campus was organised into four distinct quads or "neighbourhoods", a core tenant of Walmart's desire to create a headquarters that prioritized responsibility to staff, neighbours, and the land."A neighbourhood planning approach arranges the site into four distinct quads that evolved naturally from site configuration, land typology, and internal roads," said Gensler principal Johnny Kousparis."Each quad has a unique identity that shapes its landscape, building expression, and experience."The campus was divided into "neighborhoods"However, certain similarities can be found throughout the project.All buildings were kept to four or five stories to "reinforce the human-centric scale and community-minded atmosphere", and primary materials include brick, glass and metal panel exteriors and interiors made of concrete, metal, wood and tile.A mass timber structure was used throughout many of the buildings1.5 million cubic feetof locally fabricated mass timber was also used to construct the buildings' structures as part of an overall commitment to sustainability."Walmart's new Home Office is an expression of their culture, values, and identity, which also lies at the heart of their decision to use mass timber at an unprecedented scale across their campus," said Kousparis.Read: Walmart unveils largely unchanged logo for retailer's "next chapter"This resulted in a 15 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional materials, according to the team.Additional sustainable design strategies include biophilic design, natural ventilation systems and a kit-of-parts building strategy to speed up construction and reduce cost.Employees will be relocated to the new headquarters throughout 2025. The photo is courtesy of WalmartEmployees are also highly encouraged to connect with the campus's landscape, a swath of greenspace with 115 acres of native and adapted plantings, trees and walking paths that connect to surrounding Bentonville."The main planning principles influencing campus design were ecological sensitivity, mobility, and community orientation," said SWA Associate principal Jana Wehby.It features amenities such as a fitness centre. The photo is courtesy of WalmartAccording to Walmart, parts of the campus are now open, including its fitness centre, and some employees have begun the transition to the new headquarters. The campus will eventually serve 15,000 employees in total, with the campus opening in phases over 2025."This isn't just a workplace; it's a nod to our proud past and our bright future, sparking innovation and community," said Walmart Corporate real estate senior vice president Cindi Marsiglio"It's a world-class campus, Walmart-style."The retailer also recently unveiled a new logo and branding. In 2018, writer Aaron Betsky explored Walmart's distinct approach to retail designThe photography is by David Lloyd courtesy of SWA unless otherwise notedProject credits:Design Architect, office buildings and Executive architect, overall campus design: GenslerArchitect, Walton Family Whole Health & Fitness: Dudal|Paine ArchitectArchitect, Little Squiggles Children's Enrichment Center: PageLandscape architect: SWAUrban design: SasakiCivil, Traffic: Walter P. MooreMEP, Sustainability: ArupStructural: Fast & EppLighting: ISP DesignAssociate architect, Sam Walton Hall and 8th & Plate Food Hall: Miller, Boskus & LackArchitect, coffee Shop and water Features: Marlon Blackwell ArchitectsDesign architect, hotel and welcome Center: 5G Studio CollaborativeArchitect of record, hotel and welcome Center: Boka PowellMEP, hotel and welcome Center: HP EngineeringArchitect, central utility plants: Nielsen ArchitectureProgram manager: Turner ConstructionParking: Walker ConsultantsCivil: CEI Engineering ConsultantsMobility: Nelson\NygaardMobility: Velocity NWATrails: TrailblazersSustainability: William McDonough + PartnersAccessibility: American Construction InvestigationsBIM: WillowAcoustics: SLRAccessibility: ACIFood service: Ricca Design StudioThe post Walmart HQ features mass timber at an "unprecedented scale" appeared first on Dezeen.

Ghana president John Mahama has announced an investigation into the funding of the unbuilt National Cathedral of Ghana in Accra, designed by architect David Adjaye's studio.Ghana's government is set to investigate the controversial project as around $58 million of taxpayer's money been spent on the $400 million cathedral despite construction not starting, reported the BBC.According to the BBC, former president Nana Akufo-Addo claimed the building, which was commissioned in 2018 while he was in power, would be privately funded.John Mahama has announced an investigation into "misuse of public funds" for the National Cathedral of GhanaIf built, the landmark project designed by architecture studio Adjaye Associates will have a concave roof topping a 5,000-seat auditorium.The National Cathedral of Ghana has long been a controversial project with many questioning whether it was a priority when it was unveiled in 2018. Later Ghanaian members of parliament (MPs) accused Akufo-Addo of illegally hiring Adjaye Associatesto design the building.MPs from the National Democratic Congress the opposition party at the time claimed that the studio was "sole-sourced" for the project and accused Akufo-Addo's New Patriotic Party parliament of unjustly using state money to pay for the design work.A reported $58 million of taxpayer's money has been spent on the project so farMahama, the National Democratic Congress leader who was sworn in as president for the second time earlier this month, announced his plans to investigate the National Cathedral of Ghana on 12 January."The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) directed government to audit the project and investigate any misuse of public funds," Mahama said, reported the BBC. "We would soon activate such an investigation into the project."Read: Adjaye Associates caught up in National Cathedral of Ghana funding disputeThe project was set to be a landmark building for Accra, containing a series of chapels, a baptistery, a 5,000-seat auditorium, a music school, an art gallery and Africa's first bible museum.The building site is currently vacant with construction work yet to commence, following the demolition of state buildings, judges' homes and buildings for financial practices.The building site currently stands emptyAmid an economic crisis, demolition work on the site halted after workers refused to continue due to a lack of payment, according to the BBC.In his speech, Mahama said the National Cathedral of Ghana could be completed at a "more reasonable" price.Mahama has not ruled out completing the National Cathedral of Ghana"We can reach a more reasonable figure for achieving such a project and together we can raise the funding for it," Mahama said."Such a reconsideration of this project might even include changing the current site that was chosen for the project," he continued"The project must be achieved at a reasonable cost, in the current circumstances that Ghana is going through, it makes no sense to achieve a project at a whopping sum of $400 million."Adjaye Associates declined to comment on the news.Adjaye Associates was dropped from a number of projects in 2023, including the Africa Institute in Sharjah and the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, after three former employees accused Adjaye of sexual misconduct. Adjaye denies the allegations.The post Ghana government announces investigation into controversial Adjaye-designed cathedral appeared first on Dezeen.

Apples next budget-friendly smartphone is almost here, and its not playing by the old rules. The iPhone SE 4, or what might be called the iPhone 16e, seems ready to shake things up in early 2025. Rumors of a March launch are floating around the interwebs, although theres no official date in mind (given that Apple hasnt made any announcements for upcoming keynotes yet). That being said, the iPhone SE 4 is long overdue, given that its predecessor launched in 2022.A tipster on X shared images of a dummy phone given to case-makers and accessory manufacturers. Touted to be the upcoming iPhone SE 4, the phone gives us a pretty concise idea of what we can expect with Apples latest budget-friendly iPhone. Gone are the thick bezels and that physical home button. Instead, you get a 6.1-inch edge-to-edge display that takes cues from the iPhone 14. The shift feels long overdue, but its a welcome change. Apple has clearly decided that even its budget options shouldnt look outdated. Whether the device will stick with a notch or adopt the Dynamic Island remains a mystery, but the overall design promises to feel more current than before.Image via X (@SonnyDickson)From the rumors circling the internet, its not just the look thats leveling up. The screen technology is taking a leap forward too. Moving from an LCD to OLED is a serious win for anyone upgrading from an older SE. Expect richer colors, better contrast, and improved efficiency. Its the kind of difference you notice right awaydeeper blacks and visuals that just feel more polished. For a phone in this price range, thats not something youd usually expect.And then theres the long-overdue shift to USB-C. If youve been juggling different cables for different devices, this change simplifies things. Even though the port may only support USB 2.0 speeds, the move feels like a step in the right direction. Other visual changes on the phones frame include the lack of an action button (were back to the old mute switch days), and clearly no Camera Control button like Apple announced with the 16 series. The SE 3 didnt have MagSafe so one could argue the SE 4 might miss it too, although wireless capabilities and MagSafe are really becoming a dominant feature in phones of this supposed price range.Image via X (@SonnyDickson)Speaking of upgrades, the camera is getting a major refresh. A 48MP sensor allegedly replaces the old 12MP one, bringing a noticeable bump in photo quality. Whether its snapping shots at night or recording 4K video, the iPhone SE 4 will give you more to work with. Apple hasnt confirmed much about zoom capabilities, but the upgrade alone should satisfy both casual users and anyone who takes their mobile photography seriously. Dont expect dual-lens camera setups on the SE anytime soon but even with one lens, the iPhone SE 4 should definitely get the job done.Under the hood, the SE 4 is rumored to feature Apples A18 chip paired with 8GB of RAM. What does that mean for the user? Faster performance, smoother multitasking, and the kind of speed that keeps your phone future-proof for a while. Apples massive push towards Apple Intelligence probably means this phone will come with the highly awaited AI assistant. Thats sort of why Apple decided to give the SE 4 the same chip as the iPhone 16 series. More on this when the phone officially launches.Curiously, Apple might be rethinking how it positions this phone. The potential rebranding as the iPhone 16e hints at a shift in strategy. Instead of standing out as the cheap iPhone, it could become a core part of the lineupoffering flagship features with just a few compromises. That name change, subtle as it seems, could reshape how people perceive the device.Price-wise, the SE 4 is expected to start at $499. Sure, its a bump up from its predecessor, but considering the OLED display, the camera upgrades, and the more powerful chip, it feels justified. Youre getting more for your money, and thats the bottom line. Regional pricing might vary, but overall, its still positioned to attract users who want Apples ecosystem without the premium price tag.The post iPhone SE 4 Leaked Photos show Single-Lens Camera, USB-C Port, Mute Switch, and No Capture Button first appeared on Yanko Design.

Other apps from the company behind TikTok, including CapCut and Lemon8, went dark this weekend before flickering back. The federal law banning TikTok also applies to them.

MacworldLast fall, Apple released an AirPods Pro update that brought an impressive new set of hearing protection features to the AirPods Pro 2. However, due to the regulatory approval process, some countries, including the U.K., missed out on certain features, including the ability to use the AirPods Pro as a hearing aid.Thats finally about to change. In the coming weeks, users in the U.K. will get the hearing aid feature, presumably as part of the iOS 18.3 update, which is expected in late January or early February. Previously users in the U.K. could access the hearing test but werent able to use their AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid.In a statement to The Telegraph, Apple said: With the new policy guidance from the UK Department of Health and Social Care, we look forward to bringing the hearing aid feature onAirPods Pro 2in the coming weeks to help improve the daily lives of so many UK users.To use the AirPods as a hearing aid, U.K. users will likely need to run the hearing aid test again, which will open the Hearing Assistance menu. Apple will suggest using the AirPods Pro as a hearing aid only if you have mild-to-moderate hearing loss when listening to spoken-word frequencies.The Hearing Protection feature, which can reduce exposure to loud sounds, is still only available in the U.S. and Canada.You can learn more about how to use the AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid in our how-to article.

MacworldTaking a screenshot on your Mac is simple enough, but there are elements of the process that remain mysterious. Beginners may not realize where the screenshot is stored, since by default it goes to the desktop rather than to the pasteboard (as on Windows). But even quite advanced users may not be aware that you can change the destinationwhich you might want to do if your Mac desktop is getting really cluttered.In this article, we show how to change where screenshots are saved on your Mac. If you want to make screenshots go to a folder or even your pasteboard, well show you how. Where are screenshots saved on a Mac?By default, Mac screenshots are saved to the Desktop and have a name such as Screenshot 2018-09-28 at 16.20.56, indicating the date and time the screenshot was taken; in this case, a screenshot taken at 56 seconds past 4.20pm on September 28th 2018.If you are using Desktop Stacks (which is a feature that was introduced in macOS Mojave) you can organise your Desktop so that all your screenshots are neatly tidied away into a folder. (We explain how to do that, and some other ways to tidy your desktop in How to organise your Mac desktop.)Or, you can follow the steps below to select or create a folder that will keep the screenshots in one place and not littered all over your screen.If you have a really old Mac that isnt running macOS 10.14 Mojave or later (Mojave arrived in 2018) you will have a screenshotting app called Grab. Grab (which was located in a Utilities folder in the Applications folder) could be used to take screenshots. Grab usually saved screenshots to your Documents folder, and if you didnt change the name of the image it was save as Untitled.How to change screenshot location on a MacIf you have macOS Mojave or later installed it is very easy to change where screenshots are saved. (Anything older, we have the instructions at the bottom of this article).Press Command + Shift + 5. This brings up a dotted-line screenshot placement.Youll see a floating menu bar appear. Click on screen and click on Options.In the Save to section you can either pick a place to save to (e.g. Desktop) or choose Other Location.If you choose Other Location you can navigate to the folder you wish the screenshot to go to or create a new folder if required. Once you have changed the location that is where your screenshots will go until you change the location again.Tap the keyboard Esc key to close.As well as your self-defined Other Location you can choose from the following: Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, Mail, Messages, Preview.For example, you could keep all your screenshots in a folder called Screenshots that sits in your Desktop folder.This means they will reside somewhere you might expect them to, but in a far neater organization.FoundrySave screenshots to the pasteboardThe Print Screen function on a Windows PC works a bit differently to Mac.Instead of saving a screenshot direct to the desktop, in Windows it saves it to the pasteboard. You then need to open Photoshop, Paint or whichever image-editing app you prefer, create a new document, and paste the screenshot onto it.If you wish, you can replicate this function on a Mac by changing the keys you hold when taking the screenshot.Once youve used Command + Shift + 4 to create the crosshairs, hold Ctrl while dragging the cursor across the desired area. The resultant screengrab will be copied to the pasteboard in other words, youll be able to paste it into Preview or a Keynote document or similar instead of it saving to the desktop. This trick works on Macs whether or not they have Mojave or later installed.Heres how to save a screenshot to the pasteboard on a Mac:Hold down Command + Shift + 4. The crosshairs will appear. You can let go of the keys.Press Ctrl and drag the crosshairs across area of screen you want to screenshot.Let go of the mouse button.Screenshot will be saved to pasteboard.How to change where Mac screenshots are saved in older macOS versionsPre-Mojave it wasnt quite so easy to tell macOS to save screenshots somewhere else: in a folder labeled Screengrabs, for example. In the following example, well assume weve created a desktop folder called exactly that, but you can change this process for different locations provided you know the file path.Click on the Finder to open a new Finder window.Create a folder in the Finder by right-clicking on the Finder window. Name it Screenshots (or whatever you want to call it)Now open Terminal (press Command + Space and start typing Terminal until the icon appears) then click on that icon to open the app.In Terminal type the following: defaults write com.apple.screencapture location (There needs to be a space after location it wont work without it)Now drag and drop your Screenshots folder on top of the Terminal window and it will automatically fill in the directory path. Now press Enter.Then type the following to make sure the change take effect:killall SystemUIServerA word of warning dont delete the folder you created!If you would still like easy access to your screenshots from the desktop you could create an alias. Just locate the folder you created in the Finder and right-click on it.Choose Create Alias.Now drag and drop the Alias to the desktop.Take a couple of screenshots to check its working.If youd like to revert to the default screenshot location, go back to Terminal and type defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Desktop (with no quotation marks) and hit Enter. Then type killall SystemUIServer (no quotes) and hit Enter.

The iPhone 16 range will receive support for two Visual Intelligence features with the iOS 18.3 update, while Apple Intelligence's notification summaries are getting much needed changes.The iOS 18.3 release candidate includes support for two Visual Intelligence features on iPhone 16.On Tuesday, Apple deployed release candidate versions of iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Though the update is compatible with devices as old as the iPhone XR and iPhone XS, Tuesday's release candidate primarily affects the iPhone 16 line and its unique Visual Intelligence features.More general Apple Intelligence changes and fixes are also present in the update. Primarily, Apple has changed how notification summaries work after several problems with how the feature dealt with news headlines. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

One of the two dozen or so new Trump Administrations executive orders issued since assuming office includes a mandate for the restoration of an amalgam of classicism-inspired "traditional" architectural styles in all new federal government buildings.The newly signed Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture order directs the General Services Administration (GSA) to submit recommendations within 60 days that "advance the policy that Federal public buildings should be visually identifiable as civic buildings and respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage in order to uplift and beautify public spaces and ennoble the United States and our system of self-government."The President, via the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, would then also have to be notified within 30 days of the GSAs approval of any new building design that deviates from the newly revised Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture. A consideration for the inclusion of comm...