A global job crisis is brewing, Singapore's president warned in a World Economic Forum panel.About 1.2 billion new workers will be competing for 400 million jobs over the next decade, he said.Tharman Shanmugaratnam called for an overhaul of education and labor force training to help workers.Singapore's president says a global job crisis is looming, and tackling it will require governments around the world to reimagine how they educate, train, and care for their workers.Tharman Shanmugaratnam sounded the alarm during a Wednesday panel titled "Closing the Jobs Gap" at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. He delivered a wide-ranging monologue in the session moderated by Business Insider's editor in chief, Jamie Heller.Shanmugaratnam an economist with degrees from Harvard, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics said that roughly 1.2 billion people from developing and emerging nations are set to enter the global workforce over the next decade, but only 400 million new jobs are projected to be created in that period.If another 800 million people wind up underemployed or fully unemployed, it won't just be an economic, social, and political nightmare it will represent a "crisis of social compact" and a "crisis of hope, of self-belief and dignity, and a crisis of solidarity," he said.Narrowing the jobs gap will require "shaping human potential through life," from the crucial first three years of a child's life to what they learn in school and at work, Shanmugaratnam said.He flagged the mismatch between the overly academic and insufficiently technical education provided by many universities, and the skills that employers demand, which has left many graduates jobless and could leave a "whole generation feeling the system has failed them."He also underscored the need to equip workers with the breadth of abilities and soft skills necessary to excel in their careers.AI and informal workShanmugaratnam has held top-level government positions focused on human resources, education, finance, and economic and social policies during his career.At Davos, he discussed the rise of artificial intelligence and the prospect that the technology could lead to mass displacement of workers.He called for governments and employers to continually invest in workers to increase the chances that AI complements their skills instead of rendering them obsolete. He also urged authorities to take care of workers replaced by the tech.Shanmugaratnam also flagged that the vast majority of workers in the developing world are in the informal sector, so they lack job security, have no opportunity to develop their skills, and are underemployed.He called for other countries to follow Singapore's example and give gig workers benefits such as workplace injury compensation and social security,and ensure employers build up their workforce's skills over time.

Alessandro Palombo has lived in Dubai and he's launched two businesses in Singapore. He said people in Dubai often display their wealth, while Singapore has billionaires in flip-flops. The lifestyle in Dubai can be transient, meanwhile, Singapore can feel small, he said. This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Alessandro Palombo, 36, an entrepreneur based in Lisbon, about doing business in Dubai and Singapore. The following has been edited for length and clarity.I lived in Dubai for around four years, and I have two businesses in Singapore.I started my career in the legal field but pivoted into startups. I currently live in Lisbon and focus on running a fund advisor for a Golden Visa fund helping non-Europeans gain residency and citizenship in Portugal.I first moved to Dubai in 2019. I used the city as my headquarters and often traveled from there for work and my startups. I had team members in Asia, so there was good connectivity from Dubai to them. I also frequently visited Singapore for business trips.I launched two businesses, including a fund advisor, in Singapore in 2024. I travel frequently to manage both companies and plan to spend at least a quarter of my time there moving forward.Having experienced life in both Dubai and Singapore, here is a comparison of what I think of both locations. Overall, I think they are both great places for doing business. Dubai is better suited for doing business with Europe or the US, and Singapore is a great place if you're doing business in Asia.Displays of luxury are more understated in Singapore than in DubaiPeople in Dubai often display their wealth, while in Singapore, there were billionaires in flip-flops it's more understated.In Dubai, you can get lost among hundreds of luxury shops at the Dubai Mall. It shows you the best of every luxury brand in one place.While luxury is embedded into a holiday experience in Dubai, it isn't at the center of your experience when you live there. When visiting for a week, you're typically taken to high-end attractions and restaurants, but living in Dubai reveals its more grounded side. You can dine in more authentic Lebanese restaurants for 25 euros, around the same in dollars a head.Meanwhile, in Singapore, I've personally met more wealthy and powerful people than I did in Dubai. This could be due to coincidences around my network, but I have a feeling it attracts more people who have already made it as opposed to people who are trying to make it. I've met several wealthy people who were dressed in ordinary clothes but had significant assets, including luxury cars.In Dubai, business meetings often happen in lavish offices, but in Singapore, I've seen more personal touches, like a CEO's private room with an extraordinary cigar collection and premium liquor items that reflect wealth but aren't immediately visible.Consider where your clients are based when deciding which city is best for your businessI think both locations are great for digital nomads and entrepreneurs.In Dubai, the killer value proposition is 0% personal income tax. It's one of the very rare places in the world where your earnings, capital gains, and dividends are not taxed. It's a major advantage for people who have wealth to preserve and for digital nomads. However, there is a 5% VAT.If you're doing business with Europe or the US, Dubai would be a better fit because of the time zone.Meanwhile, Singapore offers an unmatched ease of doing business in Asia without the language barriers present in countries like China, where Mandarin is essential. However, if you have clients in Europe, the time difference can make things difficult.In Singapore, personal income tax is reasonable, and there are thoughtful tax exemptions for startups. Plus, there is no capital gains tax or foreign-source income tax. Singapore is such an efficient city. Compared to Dubai, it's faster to open a bank account. The tax guidelines are clear, and they enable you to do business easily.That said, there are challenges around entrepreneurship in both locations. In Dubai, pathways for securing a visa can involve establishing a company or obtaining a freelance license. While feasible, it's more complex than it appears, and it's often useful to have assistance from trusted local partners. In Singapore, incorporation is straightforward, but obtaining the required Employment Pass involves additional steps.There are some potential downsides to life in both cities.In Dubai, I think the lifestyle can be quite transient. There's a large expat population, and since many people see their time there as temporary, it can limit deep connections.I'd avoid the hottest summer months in Dubai. If you open your door in July, it's like a huge hairdryer blowing hot air on you. Meanwhile, in Singapore, it's hot and humid all year round. In both places, expect to be spending a lot of time in buildings with air conditioning.Both cities can be expensive, but I think Singapore is more expensive, particularly the cost of cars and real estate.Singapore is also a very small city. In Lisbon, where I live now, I can drive to many beautiful places in my car like beaches and hiking spaces, but in Singapore, you don't have to drive for long before you've left Singapore and are entering Malaysia. In the medium to long term, you may feel the smallness of the space. I haven't lived in Singapore, but when I visit, I often end up in the same four or five streets.Overall, Singapore and Dubai are great examples of international hubs, and I really like both cities.Do you want to share a review of cities you've lived in for work and business purposes? Email ccheong@businessinsider.com

Why do disasters happen?The ancient Greeks had an all-purpose explanation, as Ive been learning from my Greek myth-mad 7-year-old son: the gods.Bad harvest? The gods. Plague? The gods. Drought? The gods. Sea monster ravages your city? Definitely the gods specifically that jerk Poseidon, who once sent a sea monster to raze Troy because its king Laomedon refused to pay him for building the city walls. At a time when understanding of the mechanics of the natural world was as poor as its cosmology was rich, the idea that the catastrophes were the result of the actions of higher beings must have brought some sense to the senselessness of suffering. And that idea that we should distinguish between events that had a clear human cause and those that did not stuck around, even as paganism gave way to monotheistic religion, and humans developed legal systems and codes meant to judge liability and guilt. By the 16th century, the term act of God had entered the English lexicon, meaning any natural event or disaster that was seen as both beyond human understanding (or prediction) and a direct manifestation of divine will. An act of God meant that no person or business could be held legally liable for any resulting damage from such an event a distinction that became increasingly important as the modern insurance industry took root in late 17th-century England.Originally, an act of God was largely a way for insurers to get out of paying claims. At a time when risk assessment and prevention was still primitive, natural disasters and other acts of God were generally not covered, because there was no way to insure against what was still unforeseeable. But as both the insurance industry and risk prediction matured, that category began to shrink. Storms could be forecast; seismic zones could be identified; flood zones could be calculated. Insurers could price specific policies for specific risks with greater and greater confidence; if we couldnt always prevent a disaster, increasingly we could at least see it coming and know why, and therefore prepare. It wasnt the gods or God who made the earth move it was the movement of tectonic plates.Risk still existed, just as it did for the ancient Greeks. The difference is that it was comprehensible. God was mostly out of the picture. Right?Not exactly.Whos at fault?The wildfires still burning in Los Angeles are shaping up to be one of the most expensive disasters in US history, with early estimates putting the toll at $250 billion or more. The question of who will ultimately pay that bill and what might be done to prevent such a catastrophe in the future is an enormous one, with no shortage of possible answers.Perhaps its the fossil fuel companies thatve helped create the climate change that turbocharged the fires, as many environmental advocates argue. Or maybe its the fault of the federal government for decades of fire suppression that has led to an overaccumulation of flammable fuel in forested areas. Or it could be the government of Los Angeless failure to properly fund water infrastructure and firefighting. Or perhaps its Californias fault for restricting housing construction, which has pushed more and more development into wildfire-prone areas. Or the insurance companies for taking away coverage connected to climate change?This story was first featured in the Future Perfect newsletter.Sign up here to explore the big, complicated problems the world faces and the most efficient ways to solve them. Sent twice a week.Or maybe we can trace it all the way back to William Mulhollands decision in the early 20th century to build a massive aqueduct to bring water to the parched Los Angeles, which directly enabled the rapid growth of what would become Americas second-biggest city on the site of what is essentially a roulette wheel of different natural disasters?What all these causes have in common is that at their root is human action, or inaction. Which, in a way, is a comfort. Theres no known antidote to divine retribution, but if human action is at the root of this and other disasters, then human action can remedy it. Were a long way from blaming the gods here, unless by gods, were talking about ourselves.The problem of evilI was an English major with a concentration in creative writing, which means I can parse some iambic pentameter and, if Im feeling particularly sadistic, show you the 400-page novel I wrote as my senior thesis. But my most memorable class over those four years was the only one I took in the religion department. It had the very metal name The Problem of Evil, which I think was the main reason I signed up. (That, and it fulfilled my ethical thought requirement.)In its formulation, the problem of evil is a simple one: How can an omniscient, omnipotent and all-good God allow evil and suffering to occur in the world? Why, in other words, do disasters happen or perhaps better, are allowed to happen?To the ancient Greeks, the problem of evil wasnt a problem at all. Their gods werent omniscient, werent omnipotent, and definitely werent all good. They were like us immortal and powerful, but beset by recognizably human passions and emotions. Above all else, they could and did make mistakes, much as we can and do make mistakes.In the postwar era, the problem of evil increasingly became a secular one. It wasnt just because humanity itself had become less religious, or that the war itself and especially the Holocaust had revealed evil on such a titanic scale that the very premise of an all-powerful and all-good God seemed absurd to so many. Rather, it was because scientific and technological progress had put humanity center stage. Whether it was creating nuclear bombs capable of ending life on this planet, or astronauts leaving footprints on the moon, we were the gods now. When things happened good, bad, or otherwise were the ones who made them happen.We are as godsThe environmentalist and tech thinker Stewart Brand has a quote that always stuck with me: We are as gods, and might as well get good at it. It appeared in the opening statement of the first Whole Earth Catalog in 1968, at the height of the space program and the Cold War, when the first glimpses of what would become the modern tech industry, born in California, were becoming visible. It was a celebration of human agency and creativity.In 2009, in his book Whole Earth Discipline, Brand modified the line: We are as gods, and HAVE to get good at it. The 1960s-era egotism in that earlier vision was tempered. We had to accept our power over the Earth, and we had to use it wisely. We had to be good gods. The alternative was destruction.The problem is, we are not good at it. Being gods, I mean not yet. I believe that the Los Angeles wildfires are largely the result of human action, or inaction. The greenhouse gases weve pumped into the atmosphere, contributing to the hydroclimate whiplash that primed LAs forests to burn. The housing and insurance policies that put too many homes in a wildfire danger zone, too many of which were built to burn. The small mistakes of judgement in the governmental response to the fires, and the bigger errors of overconfidence that made it possible to believe that such a place as Los Angeles could exist where it did, and everything would be fine.But the precise combination of factors that led to the fires, and the precise series of actions to take Los Angeles into a safer future that is much, much harder to know. Which doesnt stop the avalanche of voices who are perfectly confident in exactly who is at fault and what we should do. Its a pattern I see in global challenge after global challenge, from artificial intelligence to pandemics to climate change. And I believe that attitude is why, increasingly, the aftermath of a disaster isnt unity, but division. Each side is convinced they alone know who is at fault, and they alone know how to fix it.But the truth is that our power to affect the world greatly exceeds our ability to understand and anticipate the effects of what we do, as much as we might be convinced otherwise. So if were gods, were blind gods, but so wrapped up in hubris that we believe we can see. The ancient Greeks knew hubris well, and they knew what followed it: nemesis, or divine retribution. But there are no gods to punish us. Instead, we have to live with our mistakes, if we can. So perhaps, as we sift through the ashes in Los Angeles, we can embrace the opposite of hubris: humility. Not about our power, but about our vision.A version of this story originally appeared in the Future Perfect newsletter. Sign up here!Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

Vox reader Burak Ova asks: What is HIV and what is AIDS? How is it transmitted? What are the prevention methods? Is there a cure?Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) killed millions of people every year in the early 2000s during the height of the AIDS pandemic. Now, some two decades later, scientific advancements and public health interventions have transformed one of the deadliest diseases into something manageable, where a regular dose of medication nearly prevents its spread altogether.So youre right to wonder whether weve squashed AIDS, at least to the point where people dont have to worry about it. HIV is a particularly tricky virus. When it infects a person, the virus infects and kills a specific type of blood cell (called a T cell) that fights infections. This weakens the immune system and also prevents the immune system from killing HIV. If left untreated, an HIV infection develops into a severe disease called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). At that point, the virus has completely destroyed the immune system this makes people more susceptible to a wide range of infections with little protection.Sign up for the Explain It to Me newsletterThe newsletter is part of Voxs Explain It to Me. Each week, we tackle a question from our audience and deliver a digestible explainer from one of our journalists. Have a question you want us to answer? Ask us here.HIV spreads through contaminated bodily fluids, usually during sex or when people share needles. Scientists now believe that HIV first spread to humans from infected chimpanzees in Cameroon in Central Africa. The virus spread slowly and sporadically among humans, finding its way to modern-day Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congos bustling capital city. From there, the virus went global, and in 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first documented several cases of what would come to be known as HIV. Since those fateful days, almost 90 million people around the world have been infected with HIV, and more than 40 million have died from the disease. At one point, almost 5 million people became infected with HIV each year, and some 2 million people died annually from it.Today, the outcomes are much better. In 2023, some 600,000 people died from HIV, while just over 1 million people were newly infected with the disease. Scientists and public health officials have developed a slew of medications and interventions to prevent infection or keep the virus so in check that HIV-positive people have no symptoms and can live full, healthy lives. Ending AIDS actually seems feasible. But, despite such incredible progress, HIV remains strong in much of the world. These tools have not been enough and will not be enough to end the epidemic once and for all alone. While more medical interventions, such as a true cure for HIV or a vaccine for the disease (which is likely still years, if not decades, away), would help, this is no longer really a problem of science. Ending the HIV epidemic has been plagued by trying to solve the seemingly insurmountable problem of equity and discrimination.In some places, especially African countries, HIV and complications from it remains one of the leading causes of death. Certain populations gay men, adolescent girls and young women, sex workers, people who use IV drugs, and people in prisons are at a disproportionately high risk of not only becoming infected with HIV but also not receiving adequate treatment.If this were just about developing products, doing the research and development, this epidemic would be over, said Mitchell Warren, the executive director of the international nonprofit AVAC. Its not unique to HIV, but HIV is probably the most glaring example. HIV is an epidemic that is obviously about a virus, but its spread because of inequity, because of stigma, because of discrimination, because of criminalizing behaviors. However, American and European support for the fight against HIV is waning. Governments are slashing critical funding and even considering eliminating key HIV programs such as PEPFAR, or the US Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. But relenting now risks a resurgence of the disease that could threaten not only human lives but economic and political stability as it did when the epidemic first emerged.How far have or havent we come in ending HIV?Warren started his career in HIV in 1993. He was stationed in South Africa as the country was rapidly becoming the epicenter of the HIV epidemic. Patients with HIV wasted away in front of his eyes, he recalled. Roadsides were lined with coffin makers. Every weekend, Warrens colleagues occupied their time traveling from one funeral to the next. At the time, HIV was a death sentence, and the only preventative tool physicians and public health officials had at their disposal was the male condom, which prevents the virus from spreading during intercourse but does nothing to protect drug users or homosexual couples who often dont use condoms because they arent trying to prevent pregnancy. Condoms, of course, also do not prevent pregnant people from passing on the virus to their fetus, another way that HIV can be spread.In the first decade of the epidemic, drug companies created an antiretroviral therapy treatment that keeps the amount of virus in the body known as the viral load at such low levels that the virus couldnt be spread from person to person. While these treatments did help reduce the massive number of HIV deaths, they werent enough to end the epidemic because these early treatments required patients to take dozens of pills a day. (And they were given after someone already had HIV, so they werent preventative.) Even setting aside the sheer cost and numerous side effects of taking that many drugs so frequently, getting patients to take all those pills was a major challenge even in wealthy countries. In places like South Africa and other developing countries with too few medical centers and doctors, distributing and stocking enough drugs and getting them into patients hands was insurmountable. It wasnt until 2006 that pharmaceutical companies developed the one pill, once a day regimen to treat HIV-positive patients, which helped ease logistical and adherence challenges. Then, in 2012, the Food and Drug Administration approved pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, therapy, which allowed people without HIV to take medicines to prevent infection. Though PrEP is not a cheap option it can cost up to $2,000 per patient per month in the US HIV advocates hailed PrEP as a critical tool in the fight against HIV. Along the way, massive HIV programs like PEPFAR rolled out other campaigns and interventions such as promoting safe sex practices, encouraging male circumcision, and rolling out rapid HIV testing services to prevent the spread of HIV. But despite these amazing scientific achievements, HIV remains an enduring challenge not because of science but largely because of stigma, discrimination, and marginalization. While some 20 million people around the world today take HIV medication, about 20 percent of people with HIV cannot access treatment. Gay men, sex workers, and people who use IV drugs are all at higher risk of contracting HIV, but they are often hesitant to seek out testing or treatment because they fear doctors and nurses will treat them poorly, or worse, report them to authorities. Sex work is illegal in at least 100 countries, and IV drug use is illegal in all but about 30 countries. Even homosexuality remains criminalized in 64 countries, including about 30 of 54 African countries, where the HIV burden is highest. The legal challenges have made it difficult for public health officials to implement certain interventions even when we know they work. Giving clean needles to IV drug users, for example, reduces the spread of HIV among drug users and yet is rarely, and even then controversially, implemented in very few countries.Then there is the challenge of gender equality. Adolescent girls and young women are also at a particularly high risk of contracting HIV, especially in certain parts of the world. In 2023, 62 percent of all new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa were among girls and young women. In some parts of these countries, young girls, who lack the agency to insist on safe sex practices, are married to older men who have multiple sexual partners, which increases the risk of HIV transmission. Rape is unfortunately common in regions afflicted by conflict. In other situations, especially in refugee camps or places with limited economic opportunities, girls and women are forced to turn to sex work to survive.We tend to see HIV finding the fault lines in society, Warren explained. This is a virus that is spread by sex and by drug use. Those are two behaviors that have been stigmatized and criminalized not just during 40 years of HIV, but for hundreds and thousands of years.RelatedHow likely is it that we can make more progress against HIV/AIDS?Bridging cultural and logistical divides is what makes public health so challenging. Ive worked in global health for almost 10 years, and I know that achieving public health goals, such as eliminating HIV, isnt simply about inventing and rolling out medicines and interventions but about changing societal practices and cultural beliefs. But short of solving the persistent global challenges of inequality and discrimination, we can do more to ensure people around the world continue to have access to preventative care, testing services, and treatment. To do that, we need money a lot of it. For the past decade, the US government has donated more than $5 billion a year to the global fight against HIV; about half of those funds are routed through PEPFAR. Historically, PEPFAR has enjoyed bipartisan support, but in recent years, politicians particularly from the right have threatened to end or dramatically reduce global health funding to focus on bolstering domestic spending and improving the lives of Americans. Other politicians want to end PEPFAR because some funds are spent to improve and expand access to sexual and reproductive care. HIV is, after all, spread through sex. But the proximity of HIV care to abortion services is too close for many Republican politicians, meaning that, in this rising tide of anti-abortion views, the US government should also end funding for HIV. The fight against HIV is losing momentum around the world. Globally, funding for HIV dropped by about 8 percent from $21.5 billion in 2020 to $19.8 billion in 2023, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS. Between 2022 and 2023, the US and other major donor countries, including the European Commission, reduced their global funding for HIV and seem poised to further cut funding for global health more broadly. The future may be even more bleak: President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the US was cutting ties with the World Health Organization, the UNs health agency that plays a key role in providing HIV treatment and care to millions of people, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries.The simple fact is that if global funds for HIV are reduced, we will see a rise in HIV cases and deaths. The global community has accomplished so much, but the fight is not over.This story was featured in the Explain It to Me newsletter. Sign up here. For more from Explain It to Me, check out the podcast.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

Doom goes medieval (Microsoft/Bethesda)The sequel to Doom Eternal is only a few months away according to a new leak, as Xbox gears up for its first Developer Direct of 2025.Beyond the imminent Avowed, Microsofts current slate is full of rather vague release windows, and its still unclear whether Fable or Perfect Dark will actually launch this year.One game that will be making it out sooner rather than later though is Doom: The Dark Ages, which is set to headline Xboxs Developer Direct presentation on Thursday, January 23 at 6pm GMT.While Doom: The Dark Ages currently has a broad 2025 release window, the exact release date seems to have been leaked by a French games website.Here is what we know so far. When could the Doom: The Dark Ages release date be?According to a now-pulled article on Gamekult, which has circulated on ResetEra, developer id Softwares shooter will launch on May 15, 2025. The article also specifically states that this date will be revealed during Microsofts Developer Direct.Gamekult is a long-running video game website which was originally founded in 2000, so its possible they were given a heads-up on the date and published it early by mistake.Doom: The Dark Ages is a sequel to Doom Eternal but its a prequel to 2016s Doom reboot and follows series protagonist, the Doom Slayer, as he takes on the forces of Hell in a medieval setting. Along with Xbox and PC, the game is also set to come out on PlayStation 5.Well find out more about the prequel at tomorrows Xbox Developer Direct, alongside other titles South Of Midnight and Clair Obscura: Expedition 33. A mystery game is also set to be shown, with rumours suggesting it could be anything from a new Ecco The Dolphin to Ninja Gaiden 4.Theres a chance Xbox might have more to show beyond these titles though. According to Insider Gaming, there will be a few other surprises announced at the event beyond these four confirmed games, which might connect to reports of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Gears Of War, and Hellblade 2 going multiplatform.It will certainly be interesting to see if Microsoft makes any reference to the Nintendo Switch 2, which theyve implied theyre keen to support.At last years Xbox Developer Direct, the company debuted new looks at Avowed, Hellblade 2, Ara: History Untold, and Indiana Jones And The Great Circle. It also featured Square Enixs Visions Of Mana, which marked the first time a game from a third party developer was showcased at one of the presentations.More TrendingWhile it might not appear at the Xbox Developer Direct, a remake of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is also strongly rumoured for 2025. Avowed is Microsofts next game (Xbox Game Studios)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

By Matthew Gault Published January 22, 2025 | Comments (0) | Cards featuring images of former US President Donald Trump and Ross Ulbricht, creator of Silk Road, displayed for sale at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, Tennessee, US, on Saturday, July 27, 2024. Brett Carlsen/Bloomberg via Getty Images In 2015, a 31-year-old yoga enthusiast from Austin named Ross Ulbricht was found guilty of being the online drug kingpin Dread Pirate Roberts. Convicted on 7 counts, the judge sentenced him to life in prison. Trump pardoned Ulbricht on Tuesday and now hes a free man after more than 10 years in custody. I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous! Under the pseudonym Dread Pirate Roberts, Ulbricht ran a drug empire through the dark web site Silk Road. It was a time when it felt like the computer could do anything and one thing it was really great at was facilitating illegal drug markets. If you knew what you were doing at the time, buying LSD, heroin, or other street drugs from online sellers was as easy as clicking a button and finding a trusted PO BOX. To hear prosecutors tell it, Ulbricht was the brains behind the whole thing. He was a drug kingpin, a brutal crime lord who facilitated murder for hire and would go to any lengths to protect his burgeoning digital criminal enterprise. The charges included money laundering, drug trafficking, and computer hacking. Ulbrichts trial hasnt sat right with many. The prosecutors made it seem as if the Silk Road was more violent than a typical illegal drug market. In truth, it was far safer. A rating system, online forum with active community members, and various other features made the Silk Road a place where drug dealers had to build reputations of truth with customers and rarely met face to face.Controversial at the time, as the Drug War has cooled off, Ulbrichts trial has felt less and less like justice. Weed is legal in most of the country. Hallucinogens are routinely used in therapy and some communities have experimented with laissez-faire drug laws. Ulbricht going to jail didnt end the digital drug trade. It didnt seem to have any effect at all. Its easier than ever to buy illegal drugs online. Trump had long promised to free Ulbricht and Elon Musk hinted that it would be soon after he took office. Less than a day after the inauguration, he made good on his word. On X, an account associated with the movement to release Ulbricht tweeted a picture of the Dread Pirate Roberts as he walked across a parking lot in sweats. Newly freed, he smiled into the camera, clutching a little plant growing in a styrofoam cup.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Ed Cara Published December 20, 2024 By Isaac Schultz Published December 6, 2024 By Margherita Bassi Published December 4, 2024 By Ed Cara Published December 2, 2024 By Matt Novak Published November 5, 2024 By Ed Cara Published October 30, 2024

A single floor lamp that can entirely transform a room with light shows containing millions of customizable colors and even music while taking up virtually no space at all is definitely worth $100, so when Amazon dropped this limited-time deal taking 30% off the price of the highly rated Govee RGBIC Floor Lamp, we took notice and so should you.See at AmazonThis 54-inch-tall lamp is only 8 inches across at the base, and the main body is a narrow pole holding a 1000-lumen LED light strip that has 58 built-in light shows and endless possibilities for custom ones for you to create by using the Govee app, and all can be controlled by Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands. The entire Govee RGBIC Floor Lamp weighs barely 3.5 pounds, so it can easily be moved to whatever room youd like to throw a dazzling light and sound show in.Special Occasions or Just FunRGBIC stands for red/green/blue integrated circuit, and its the LED strip technology that Govee uses to create millions of colors from a lamp designed to stand in a corner and take up no space. Its pairable via Bluetooth so it can play any music you like, and the lights will move and pulse with the audio.The preset effects, including Aurora, Rainbow, Ocean, Sunset Glow, Ripple, and Sunrise can oscillate and dance or be static. Add in your music via Bluetooth and the Govee RGBIC Floor Lamp becomes built-in party lighting as the colors dance and move to the tunes, or set it to a soothing warm color for background mood lighting a built-in timer control makes it an excellent night light. Play with the Govee app to tweak colors and effects and you can set up your own holiday-themed light shows.At Your CommandThe Govee RGBIC Floor Lamp responds to AI commands, generating different light shows and effects for different occasions or however it interprets your requests. All of the Govees light shows shine brightly at up to 1000 lumens, with adjustable color temperatures ranging from 3400K to 4300K, with 16 million colors and color combinations at its disposal.The versatility and easy use of the Govee RGBIC has made it an Amazons Choice floor lamp, with nearly 7,000 reviews averaging 4.5 stars. It assembles quickly and easily, and readily pairs with your Bluetooth music devices and also with Alexa and Google Assistant. This limited-time 30% off Amazon sale gives you the power to transform an entire room for just $70.See at Amazon

Architect and Archigram Founding Member Dennis Crompton Passes Away at 90Save this picture! Archigram ArchivesDennis Crompton, an influential figure in the field of architecture, passed away on January 21, 2025, at the age of 90. Born in Blackpool in 1935, Crompton's remarkable career spanned several decades and left an indelible mark on modern architecture. As a key member of the avant-garde architectural group Archigram, established in London in 1961, Crompton played a pivotal role in revolutionizing architectural practice, together with Warren Chalk, Peter Cook, Ron Herron, David Greene, and Michael Webb.Save this picture!Crompton's enthusiasm for gadgets, machines, techniques, and systems made him a standout figure within Archigram. He was the creative force behind many of the group's provocative projects including the "things that go bang in the night" projects. Drawing inspiration from popular culture and the technological advancements of the era, Archigram continues to influence generations of architects, despite never building a structure. Their achievements were recognized with the RIBA Gold Medal in 2002.Save this picture!When Archigram disbanded in 1975, Crompton dedicated himself to preserving the legacy of the group. He assumed the role of record keeper, taking on the task of orchestrating the Archigram Archives and was instrumental in assembling and designing the major exhibition "Archigram: Experimental Architecture 1961-74." This exhibition, which debuted in Vienna in 1994, traveled across Europe, Asia, and North America, spreading Archigram's ideas worldwide. He is also co-author and editor of "Archigram: The Book", a monography on the experimental practices of the influential office.Crompton's influence extended beyond Archigram. Starting in 1965, he taught at the Architectural Association School for over three decades. His dedication to education continued at The Bartlett School of Architecture, where he recently taught master courses in Architecture and Urban Design. Crompton was also a frequent lecturer in the U.S. and Europe, sharing his vast knowledge and inspiring both students and professionals.Save this picture! People don't fall in love with the buildings, they fall in love with the activities that are made possible because of the buildings. - Dennis Crompton Save this picture!Dennis Crompton's legacy is one of innovation, creativity, and a profound understanding of architecture's role in society. His work with Archigram and beyond ensures that his visionary ideas will continue to inspire future generations.Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorCite: Maria-Cristina Florian. "Architect and Archigram Founding Member Dennis Crompton Passes Away at 90" 22 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026052/architect-and-archigram-founding-member-dennis-crompton-passes-away-at-90&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Two Triangles House / dua studioSave this picture! Tristan SalimHousesJakarta, IndonesiaArchitects: dua studioAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:79 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2016 PhotographsPhotographs:Tristan Salim Architectural Design: Ardy Hartono Kurniawan, Nadya Winaga Puteri Construction: JunediMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. As a response to a site located at the corner of a street, the design of this house begins by dividing the 150 square-meter rectangular-shaped site diagonally into two nearly equal-sized triangles. One triangular part is designated for the house, while the other is for the garden and open area.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Triangular House The first triangle serves as a vessel for two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a dining area, and a bathroom. Space in this triangle is formed by the sloping roof which rises to a single peak at one corner, creating a sufficiently high interior space that allows the insertion of a mezzanine level for a multipurpose room. The interaction between residents on the ground floor and those on the mezzanine is connected through a void directly adjacent to the sloping roof.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Triangular Garden The second triangle is an open space: garden and carport. The garden is designed as a space for outdoor activity and also as a view from inside the house. In this phase, the garden is intentionally designed as simply as possible, allowing the residents to respond with their favorite plants. For us, it is fascinating to see the hobbies and the everydayness of the residents gradually intervene in the space.Save this picture!This triangular garden also serves as a threshold space from the street to the house. Interactions that happen between the residents and neighbors in this garden and open space become part of the daily scenery visible from within the house.Save this picture!Two Triangles These two triangular forms represent our ongoing explorations related to housing in a densely populated area. Located in a dense neighborhood in East Jakarta, this triangular house and garden are our response along with the residents as well, who seem to agree that the luxury of living in a dense area is not about flashy decorations or expensive homes, but rather: the open space.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officedua studioOfficePublished on January 22, 2025Cite: "Two Triangles House / dua studio" 22 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025842/two-triangles-house-dua-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Tech Diversity Key To Saving Imperiled Federal Broadband Program: ReportBy John P. Mello Jr.January 22, 2025 5:00 AM PT ADVERTISEMENTQuality Leads That Turn Into DealsFull-service marketing programs from TechNewsWorld deliver sales-ready leads. Segment by geography, industry, company size, job title, and more. Get Started Now. An emphasis on fiber optic broadband delivery blunts the effectiveness and reach of a federal program created to close the gap between internet haves and have-nots, according to a report released Tuesday by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF).The Washington, D.C. tech think tank maintained that the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is financially imperiled by a preference for deployment projects using fiber-optic cables.It called on the Trump administration to reform BEAD to stop favoring overly expensive fiber when low-Earth-orbiting (LEO) satellites could do the same job for less.Taking a technology-neutral approach to broadband deployment would save money that could be better spent on other causes of the digital divide, it argued in its 11-page report.We think tech neutrality would have made sense from the beginning, but certainly in the years since the law was initially adopted, a lot of satellites have been launched, and there have been a lot of fixed wireless deployments, said ITIF Director of Spectrum and Broadband Policy Joe Kane.We dont really need to be putting fiber everywhere if there are viable satellite and fixed wireless options, he told TechNewsWorld.Tech Overruns GuidanceThe legislation creating BEAD was passed three years ago and funded to the tune of US$42.45 billion. The program aimed to help communities overcome the barrier of high front-end broadband deployment costs and get high-speed internet service to every American who wanted it.[I]t has become clear that technological advancements have outrun the programs regulatory guidelines, Kane and Research Assistant Ellis Scherer wrote in the report. The main issue is that BEAD is not technology neutral, they continued. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has designed the program to give it a strong preference for using expensive fiber-optic cables. The result is that the money funds more expensive infrastructure than is needed, which will ultimately limit BEADs impact in bridging the digital divide.The NTIA declined to comment for this story.According to the report, states could save tens of millions of dollars on their deployment efforts if BEAD could better incorporate cheaper yet still high-performing technologies such as fixed wireless broadband, such as 5G internet, and satellite service. Those savings could then be used to address the other principal causes of the digital divide, including affordability for low-income households and digital literacy, it added.The change in administrations can be a good inflection point to take stock of where we are now, Kane said. The satellite ecosystem is a lot different than it was when President Biden took office. The same can be said for the fixed wireless ecosystem.Underfunded From the StartJim Dunstan, general counsel for TechFreedom, a technology advocacy group in Washington, D.C., maintained that BEAD has been underfunded since its inception. $42.5 billion isnt going to get broadband to everybody no matter what technology you use, he told TechNewsWorld.He added that inflation has increased dramatically since the passage of the BEAD legislation. That makes closing the digital divide with $42.5 billion even less likely, he said.Nevertheless, he acknowledged, I think the NTIA really missed the ball on this by giving a nod to fiber. While fiber is expensive, it has advantages, besides performance, over satellite technologies, countered Ry Marcattilio, associate director for research at the Community Broadband Networks Initiative of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a nonprofit organization and advocacy group that provides technical assistance to communities about local solutions for sustainable community development, with offices in Washington, D.C., Portland, Maine, and Minneapolis.Fiber is certainly more expensive to build, but it solves the problem for a geometrically longer time horizon than LEO satellite services, he told TechNewsWorld. Those satellites have to be replaced every five years.This argument that we should build broadband infrastructure in a technology-neutral way I think is a recipe for having to spend thousands of dollars every five years on the same household over and over and over again, instead of running fiber to the vast majority of them and solving the problem once for three or four generations in a row, he said.Niche Solution?Marcattilio contended that satellite internet is a good niche solution for a small number of very rural households. It works well as a niche solution if you dont care about shifting the burden of startup and monthly costs onto households.LEO service will work well for a small number of households, and this has been true since its inception, he added. I think it will be true for a while, but its never going to be a mass market solution the way we all might wish it were.If we handed the $42.5 billion to the satellite providers, you could deliver broadband to 100% of Americans pretty easily, Dunstan contended. The problem is, what kind of service can you squeeze out of those satellites? He explained that satellite networks claim they can support 100 Mbps downloads and 20 Mbps uploads. The problem is when you start adding people to the service, he said. Youre sharing bandwidth. At some point, even with 6,000 satellites up there, its going to be hard to maintain that speed.Kane conceded congestion could be a problem for satellite networks, but its less of a concern for BEAD users. BEAD is targeting people in rural and remote locations, places where broadband has never been deployed before, he explained.In those places, theres not going to be thousands of people signing up at once, he continued. Were talking about areas where there arent thousands of people at all.Fouled in PoliticsJohn Strand of Strand Consulting, an advisory firm focusing on global telecom based in Denmark, argued that the NTIA should not have been charged with administering the program. It was political from the start, he told TechNewsWorld. The FCC should have had responsibility. It has experience in subsidy distribution and provides bipartisan accountability.He contended that BEAD was supposed to be tech-neutral, but the NTIA put its thumb on the scale in favor of fiber solutions. This is because fiber builds typically require more labor. Hence, unions get involved, a Democratic Party constituency, he said.Fiber networks also lend themselves to delivering increasing amounts of video entertainment traffic and advertising from the Big Tech and Hollywood platforms, helpful to another traditional Dem constituency, he added.He also noted that BEAD had climate and DEI requirements, which were not welcome in red states. The NTIA put requirements on the money which Congress did not require, he added. This made the program take longer to administer.Wireless technologies are, in general, more economical, but no one network type is always the right solution for every situation, he explained. Networks are a blend of technologies.I expect Arielle Roth will be named the head of NTIA and predict she will either kill BEAD or remake it into something practical, not political, or aspirational, he observed.John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John.Leave a CommentClick here to cancel reply. Please sign in to post or reply to a comment. New users create a free account.Related StoriesMore by John P. Mello Jr.view allMore in Internet