For our latest lookbook, we've gathered eight interiors where bookshelves and bookcases were used to create elegant storage solutions, ranging from a study in Berlin to a pied--terre in Mayfair, London.Not everyone has the space for a library, but adding bookshelves to a home whether it's just for storing books or to also display artworks and sculptures is an easy way to help create cosy, creative interiors.The bookshelves in this lookbook range from simple, low shelves that run along the floor to tall floor-to-ceiling book walls.This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring kitchens with splashes of blue, self-designed studio interiors and interiors with earthy finishes.Photo by Helen CathcartBelgravia townhouse, UK, by Child StudioA five-metre-tall, floor-to-ceiling bookcase made out of mahogany wood forms a striking backdrop in this home in Belgravia, London.Designed for an art collector and informed by late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's bookshelves in his Parisian studio, the roomy shelves hold a variety of art books and other titles.Find out more about the Belgravia townhouse Photo by Fabian MartinezMrida home, Mexico, by Marc PerrottaArchitect Marc Perrotta renovated this traditional home in Mrida, Mexico, which now has an office and dining room at the front.Here, a low wooden bookshelf curves around three walls and holds both books, paintings and photos. Its dark wood matches the dining room table and looks striking against the colourful tiled floor.Find out more about the Mrida home Photo by Joe FletcherClear Oak Residence, Australia, by Woods + DangaranThis renovation of amid-century modern house that once belonged to singer Bing Crosby's manager features teak wood, travertine stone and expansive glazing.The mid-century modern feel is underlined by the floating bookshelves that sit against wooden panelling in the living room and showcase books, sculptures and green plants.Find out more about Clear Oak Residence Photo by Seth CaplanDumbo loft renovation, US, by Crystal Sinclair DesignsBooks peep out from their shelves on the mezzanine floor of this flat in Dumbo, Brooklyn, which also features a bedroom behind a glass partition.The L-shaped mezzanine floor was designed to hold the client's book collection, which is displayed in a library that covers almost the entire wall. The mezzanine, which is accessed by a ladder, also has a cosy chair for relaxed reading sessions.Find out more about Dumbo loft renovation Photo by Robert RiegerBerlin apartment, Germany, by Gisbert PpplerInterior design studio Gisbert Pppler was given a lot of freedom to renovate this apartment in a glass pavilion on the roof of a 1930s residential building in the borough of Mitte, Berlin.In the study, dark teak walls are contrasted with pale, sage-green bookcases and a desk in the same hue. The practical shelving makes the space look both well-organised and stylish.Find out more about the Berlin apartment Photo by Salva LpezCasa Vasto, Spain, by MesuraA white low-slung bookshelf sits close to the floor in Casa Vasto, which local studio Mesura designed in Barcelona. The space, which also functions as an art gallery, is located in a former factory.The bookshelf is flanked by other low-lying furnishings, including a comfy sofa, which underline the height of the space and its unique sculptural ceiling.Find out more about Casa Vasto Photo by Felix Speller and Child StudioMayfair pied--terre, UK, by Child StudioChild Studio, which also designed the Belgravia townhouse in this article, had previously created a tall bookcase for this Mayfair home.The bookcase's ribbed dark wood is contrasted by veiny marble, which creates a luxurious patterned backdrop against the books and sculptures on display.Find out more about the Mayfair pied--terre Photo by Peter BennettsWest Bend House, Australia, by Brand New EcoIn the study of this Melbourne home, full-height timber bookshelves provide space for the family's books and are matched with a shelf in the same material displaying sculptures and toys.Local studio Brave New Eco used red bricks for the flooring, adding a tactile, rustic feel to the room.Find out more about West Bend House This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring kitchens with splashes of blue, self-designed studio interiors and interiors with earthy finishes.The post Eight homes with stylish shelves for book lovers appeared first on Dezeen.

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MacworldNormally when you plug in an external hard drive to your Macs USB port you will see it appear on the desktop. You can also see it in a Finder window in the left column under Locations (or Devices in older versions of macOS). If the drive is not showing up on your Mac chances are it has not been formatted correctly, has been corrupted, or is faulty. Alternatively, you may have set a password for the drive that you need to enter before it will connect.We show you how to work out whether the reason the external drive is not mounting on your Mac up is due to a problem with the drive itself, the cable or the port, and how to resolve the problem and access data on your drive.PROMOTIONEaseUS | Check and manage hard drives on MacWhy the hard drive is not showing up on your Mac? How to get it fixed quickly? No worries. EaseUS Partition Master for Mac comes in. To check and find hard drives both internal and external, it scans the devices, gives a clear overview, and diagnoses what happens to your disks. In addition to providing a clear result, it also prompts and guides you to take the next step, quickly solving your disk problem, like disk formatting, creating a boot disk, and converting the disk to be initialized. Now 25% OFF by using code: MACWORLD25.Free TrialBuy and Save 25%This article assumes you have an external drive that should connect to your Mac via the USB-A, USB-C, or a Thunderbolt port. If you have a NAS drive that connects over the network then you should read our article about connecting to a NAS drive.Why is your hard drive not showing up on Mac? Well start by trying to identify the reason why your hard drive isnt showing up on the Mac before explaining what you need to do to find the hard drive on your Mac. If you can identify the cause your should be able to fix the problem that is stopping your external drive from opening on your Mac.Damaged cable, port or insufficient powerThe first port of call is always to check that its plugged in, but we are sure you have done that. The problem might be with the cable.One of the main reasons why drives fail to mount is if the drive isnt receiving enough power. If the drive is powered via a USB-A cable you need to check that adequate power is being delivered to the drive. Very old Macs may require a USB power cable, a cable that splits into two USB connectors that need to both be plugged into your Mac, in order to deliver enough power to the drive. Similarly, make sure that the drive doesnt have an external power supply it should be using.On the subject of cables, make sure that its not at fault. Try using a different cable with the drive to see if that fixes the problem. Similarly, if you are using a USB port on a hub check thats not whats causing the problem.Also check that the port on your Mac isnt the problem. Try using a different port. Or if you only have one port, plug another device in and see if that works.The next step is to try plugging the drive into another Mac. If it also fails to mount there you will know that there is a problem with the drive while if it does mount then the problem is with your Mac.Problem preferencesHopefully, there is a really easy fix to get the hard drive to mount on your desktop. Try the following to make sure your Mac is set to show mounted drives on the desktop.Open the Finder.Click on Finder in the menu at the top of your screen.Click on Settings (Preferences in older macOS versions).Click on General.Make sure that there is a tick beside External disks.If it was already set up so that the external drive would appear on the desktop then continue to follow the steps below.Password protectionsYou can protect a drive with a password when you initially start using it, so check to see if the reason your drive isnt mounting is that a password request box has popped up and you didnt notice it.Sometimes the password popup takes a few minutes to appear as well, so it helps to be patient. FoundryThe drive is formatted for a PCIt is possible that the drive has been formatted using a file system that your Mac cannot read. Windows PCs use NTFS or ExFAT file formats. Mac computers before Sierra used the HFS+ file format.In High Sierra, Apple introduced a new file system called Apple File System (APFS). There is an old FAT32 format can be read by Window and Mac computers, but has limitation on what files can be stored.An easy way to find out if this is the problem would be to check on a PC. If the drive mounts on the PC its likely that you have discovered what the problem is: the drive is formatted for PCs and cant be read by your Mac. To make sure your drive can be read by Macs and PCs you need to format it using exFAT or the older FAT32. Well explain how to do that below.Its a corrupted or faulty driveIf none of the above were the reason why you couldnt see the external drive on your Mac, perhaps the drive is faulty. If it is, you can use Apples Disk Utility program to access the disk and potentially fix whatever is causing the issue. Well discuss how to do that below. Well also look at ways you can stop a drive failing in the future. How fix an external drive that wont show up on a MacIf none of the above solved your problem, it is likely the drive is either formatted incorrectly or damaged. Depending on the reason why you cant see the drive, here is what you need to do to get it working. How to reformat a drive so you can see it on a Mac Hopefully, the drive is fine, but the format is wrong. It is possible that the hard drive has been formatted using a different file system (i.e. on a Windows PC). In that case, if you need to access the data on the drive youll need to connect the drive to a Windows PC that does recognize it and copy the data before moving on to the next step because the process will involve reformatting the drive and deleting everything on i).To make sure your drive can be read by Macs and PCs you need to format it using exFAT or the older FAT32. If you want to format the drive to just be used on a Mac you can use the HFS+ or Apple File System (APFS) file formats.Having got the data of the drive via a PC you can reformat the drive so that you can add the data again. Heres how to reformat your drive so it can be read by a Mac or a PC.Open Disk Utility (as per the steps above).If you dont require the data on the hard drive, select the disk and click Erase.Before Disk Utility starts to erase the disk it will pick a format for you. You can change this if you click on the Formatting options. Choose your format, ExFAT if you want to make sure its compatible with PC and Mac, otherwise, Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is probably the best option.Click on Erase and wait for your Mac to erase and then reformat the drive.Give the drive a name.ScreenshotFoundryRead more: How to format a drive on a Mac. How to fix the faulty drive with Disk Utility If the various checks above suggest that the disk is faulty then you can use Apples Disk Utility program to access the disk and potentially fix whatever is causing the issue. Heres what to do:Find Disk Utility by opening Spotlight (cmd+Space-bar) and start typing Disk Utility, press enter to open the program.Look in the column on the left to see if the hard drive appears there.If you can see the hard drive in Disk Utility check underneath it for a volume. If it is there click on it and select Mount. If your Mac has already mounted the drive the option Unmount will be displayed instead. (If there is no volume listed your Mac is not able to access the drive. The Mount option will be greyed out.)Your options are First Aid, Erase, and Restore. First Aid will check the disk for errors and then repair the disk if necessary and this is the option to choose. Restore allows you to erase the contents of the drive and replace that with data from somewhere else. Erase deletes all the data stored on the drive. If you need the data on the drive do not choose Erase or Restore!Click the First Aid tab and select Run.If after running First Aid the Mac finds errors you could fix you may see the option to Repair Disk. If you do, go ahead and run the repairs.Best apps to recover data on a lost driveIf your Mac is unable to repair the disk if is likely that the drive is either formatted using a file system that the Mac cannot read, or it is well and truly broken. If its the latter we suggest you follow this tutorial about recovering data from a damaged disk. You may also want to consider one of the data recovery apps for Mac we recommend in our round-up of the Best data recovery apps for Macs.Our recommendations include Recoverit from Wondershare, Data Rescue from Prosoft and Stella Data Recovery for Mac. 1. Wondershare RecoveritRead our full Wondershare Recoverit review 2. Data RescueRead our full Data Rescue review 3. Stellar Data Recovery for MacRead our full Stellar Data Recovery for Mac review How to prevent issues with hard drives on a MacWe have final suggestion to make that is more of a guard against this error happening again.Make sure that your external drive doesnt become damaged in the future by always unmounting the disk properly after using it. Dont just unplug the USB cable. To unmount your drive you can right-click (control-click) on the icon on the Desktop or in the Finder and choose Eject. Drive issues can occur when the disk is removed without ejecting it properly.Decided there is no hope for your faulty hard drive? We have a round-up of some of the best weve seen here: The best Mac hard drives.

Broadway posters as seen in the summer or 2011, whenPhantom of the Operawas still running, more than two decades after it opened. Raymond Boyd / Getty ImagesWhen The Phantom of the Opera opened on January 26, 1988, there was no way to know that it would become the longest-running show in Broadway history.Created by English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who based his beloved musical on Gaston Lerouxs novel of the same name, Phantom is the story of a gifted soprano, Christine Daa. Following a successful performance at the Paris opera house, Christine confesses that shes been tutored by an Angel of Music, who turns out to be a mysterious phantom who lives inand perhaps cursesthe theater. From there, the storyline unfolds as a love triangle among the Phantom, Christine and Raoul, Christines childhood friend.Lloyd Webber made his Broadway debut with Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971, followed by popular musicals like Evita in 1979 and Cats in 1982. Less than two years after opening on Londons West End in October 1986, Phantom debuted in New York City at Manhattans Majestic Theatre. It starred English actor Michael Crawford as the Phantom and Sarah Brightman, Lloyd Webbers then-wife, making her Broadway debut as Christine.The show became an instant hit. In its first year, it took home seven Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical. By the early 90s, it was still playing to standing-room-only crowds and producing record-breaking box-office sales. For over three more decades, Phantom phans flocked to see this spectacle-based productionwhich included trap doors, a masked ball and an elegant one-ton chandelier that comes crashing down to the stage for the musicals first-act finalesome of them catching dozens of performances throughout its tenure.In 1989, Phantom launched its first national tour, putting on more than 3,000 performances as part of its touring circuit that lasted until 2010.But the Covid-19 pandemic spelled trouble for Broadways Phantom. In March 2020, Phantom temporarily closed, staying shuttered for 586 days before reopening on October 22, 2021. The shows audience never returned to its pre-pandemic attendance levels. Less than a year later, producers announced the productions record-breaking run would end in February 2023.But when patrons learned that the musical was leaving Manhattan, a surge in ticket sales led to a two-month extension. By the time the show closed on April 16, 2023, Phantom had played 13,981 Broadway performances.CNN called Phantom the most enduring relic of the 80s era of musicals built on spectacle, which also included mega-musicals like Miss Saigon and Cats. But the show is not without its controversy, especially in the era of the #MeToo movement. Its storyline focuses on the Phantoms dangerous obsession with his protge, Christine: one in which he sabotages her rival, threatens the life of her love interest and even kidnaps her.But the shows plotline has long been eclipsed by its sheer dazzlea spectacle that still fuels its popularity despite its Broadway demise. Its no exaggeration to say that Lloyd Webber and The Phantom of the Opera have changed the trajectory of musical theater, writes Sage Young in a post for uDiscoverMusic. The shows crossover impact introduced millions of new fans to the art form, and more than a few musicals that came afterward owe their sense of scale and spectacle to the international hit.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Broadway, COVID-19, Musical Theater, On This Day in History, Opera, Performing Arts

Author(s): Titouan Le Gourrierec Originally published on Towards AI. Example of the results obtainable after this tutorial (by author)IntroductionImage segmentation plays a key role in various fields, from identifying cells in biological research to analyzing regions in satellite imagery. However, traditional segmentation methods often require advanced programming skills or machine learning expertise making them inaccessible to many.Fortunately, tools like Ilastik and EasIlastik are changing the game. These open-source applications empower users to perform sophisticated image segmentation without writing a single line of code. With intuitive interfaces and interactive workflows, they allow even non-experts to achieve high-quality results quickly.In this article, well explore what makes Ilastik and EasIlastik so powerful, walk through how to use them, and show you how they can simplify your image segmentation tasks, no matter your level of experience.Ilastik: A powerful tool to segment imagesIlastik is a powerful, open-source tool designed to make complex image analysis tasks like segmentation and object classification accessible to non-experts. With no prior experience in machine learning required, it empowers users to create customized models by simply annotating images, making it perfect for anyone who needs to process visual data.It uses interactive machine learning, allowing users to annotate images directly, train models in real-time, and apply them without needing programming skills. From biological microscopy to industrial inspection, Ilastik is versatile and ideal for a wide range of applications.To download Ilastik, please visit Ilastik website and follow the installation instructions for your operating system.How to use it?Once youve downloaded Ilastik, launch the software and select Pixel Classification under the Segmentation Workflows section to get started.Ilastiks interface at launch (by author)1. Loading Images for Model TrainingTo begin, add the images needed for training the model:Click on the Add New button.Select Add separate images to upload your image files.How to load images for model training (by author)2. Feature SelectionNext, click on the 2. Feature Selection button in the left-hand menu. A popup will appear with a set of feature checkboxes.Select all the boxes. These features represent different image properties like edges, textures, and intensity patterns. Dont worry Ilastik will automatically determine which ones are most relevant based on the images you provide.Click OK, then proceed to 3. Training.Feature selection menu (by author)3. Annotating ImagesNow comes the interactive part:Add the labels you need for each class in your dataset.Use the pen tool to annotate regions on your images, assigning them to the appropriate labels.Examples of image annotations (by author)4. Refining the Model with Incremental LearningOnce youve made your initial annotations, click on the Suggest Features button. This allows Ilastik to select the most relevant features for your specific dataset.Heres where Ilastik shines: you can incrementally improve the models predictions.Review the segmentation results produced by your model.Annotate more areas or correct any inaccuracies to refine the predictions further.This iterative approach ensures that your model adapts to the complexity of your data.Incremental annotations to improve predictions (by author)5. Exporting Predictions and Saving the ModelOnce youre satisfied with the results:Click on 4. Prediction Export in the left menu.Open Choose Export Image Settings and adjust the Renormalize [min, max] parameter to reflect the number of classes in your dataset (e.g., 0 to the number of labels you created).Save the model as an .ilp file for future use.Settings for prediction export and model saving (by author)Using Your Trained Model with Python and EasIlastikOnce youve trained and saved your Ilastik model as a .ilp file, you can seamlessly integrate it into your Python workflow using the EasIlastik package. EasIlastik simplifies running your Ilastik model on large datasets without needing to open the Ilastik interface, making it ideal for batch processing and automation.1. Installing EasIlastikBefore using EasIlastik, youll need to install it. You can do this easily via pip:pip install EasIlastik2. Running Your Model with EasIlastikOnce youve installed the package, you can use it to apply your trained Ilastik model to new images. The process is simple and involves just a few lines of code:import EasIlastikEasIlastik.run_ilastik( input_path="path/to/input/folder", model_path="path/to/your/model.ilp", result_base_path="path/to/your/output/folder/")Example of segmentation results with EasIlastik (by author)Explanation of Parameters:input_path: This is the path to the image or folder containing the images you want to process. EasIlastik can handle a single image or multiple images in a folder.model_path: This is the path to your saved Ilastik model file (.ilp). Its the model you trained using the Ilastik interface, and now youre ready to apply it to new data.result_base_path: Specify the path where you want the processed results to be saved. EasIlastik will store the output files here.Why Use EasIlastik?Batch Processing: Easily process hundreds or thousands of images at once. This is especially useful for large datasets where manually running predictions in Ilastiks GUI would be too time-consuming.Automation: Integrating EasIlastik into your Python scripts allows you to automate your image segmentation pipeline, enabling seamless workflows for repeated tasks.Simplicity: Despite its power, EasIlastik is simple to use, requiring minimal code. This makes it accessible even to those with little to no programming experience.Flexibility: EasIlastik provides the flexibility to incorporate Ilastiks powerful segmentation capabilities into larger data processing pipelines, whether for research, industrial applications, or other fields.With just a few lines of code, you can easily process large batches of images using the model you trained in Ilastik, making EasIlastik a powerful tool for automating and scaling image segmentation tasks.ConclusionIlastik and EasIlastik offer a powerful, accessible solution for image segmentation, ideal for users with no prior AI knowledge. Their intuitive interfaces and interactive workflows allow users to easily tackle complex segmentation tasks. By eliminating the need for specialized coding or deep machine learning knowledge, these tools accelerate research, reduce human error, and enable efficient, high-quality image analysis.Whether for biological research, industrial applications, or other fields, Ilastik makes image segmentation easy. EasIlastik further simplifies the process by allowing seamless integration with Python for batch processing.Give Ilastik a try and unlock the full potential of your image data!Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AI

Mortgage rates are always in flux, but homebuyers should expect more turbulence than usual over the next few months. Since starting his second term, President Donald Trump is moving forward on some of his policies around immigration and trade, which many experts see as inflationary."Higher tariffs and restrictive immigration policies would increase costs for homebuyers at a time when affordability is near a four-decade low," said Matt Walsh, housing economist at Moody's Analytics.Average 30-year fixed mortgage rates have remained around a steep 7% for several weeks. While Trump has repeatedly claimed he will bring mortgage rates down to 3% (which would indicate a severe economic crisis), the president doesn't set rates on home loans.Even the Federal Reserve, which sets a short-term benchmark interest rate for lenders, only indirectly impacts the mortgage market. Between September and December, the central bank cut interest rates three times, but mortgage rates didn't fall.That's because rates are primarily driven by movement in the bond market, specifically on the 10-year Treasury yield. Bond yields and interest rates rise and fall depending on how new economic data and policy changes shift market speculation and risk assessment.Right now, mortgage rates are staying elevated due to a combination of factors: "strong" economic growth; potentially inflationary policies under the new Trump administration; and the Fed's less aggressive rate-cutting path in 2025. At its first policy meeting of the year on Jan. 28-29, the central bank is expected to hold interest rates steady.Mortgage rates will continue to fluctuate as investors speculate what's next. If inflation remains high or starts to rebound, mortgage rates will increase, regardless of the president's promise to lower borrowing costs."On mortgage rates, we're more data dependent than ever," said Greg Sher, managing director at NFM Lending.Will the Fed meeting change the outlook for mortgage rates?Given slow progress on inflation and concerns about it reheating, the Fed is expected to leave interest rates unchanged at its next few policy meetings."The earliest possible rate cut would be in March, and that assumes a compelling drop in [inflation] in the two reports between now and then," said Matt Graham of Mortgage News Daily. As of now, though, most investors are betting another rate reduction won't come until late spring or early summer.The Fed is likely to face pressure from the new president if additional cuts aren't made. During a virtual appearance at the Davos World Economic Forum on Thursday, Trump said he would demand interest rates to drop immediately."I think I know interest rates much better than they do, and I think I know it certainly much better than the one who's primarily in charge of making that decision," said Trump, likely referring to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. "If I disagree, I will let it be known."But there's only so much Trump can actually do with regard to the central bank. Aside from voicing his opinions, the president's most direct power over the central bank is through naming appointees to fill vacancies on the Board of Governors.Similar to stacking the Supreme Court, the president could appoint Fed board members whose views on monetary policy align with his own. However, the earliest Trump will be able to make any new appointments will be in early 2026. Will mortgage rates go down in time for spring homebuying season?Earlier last year, many economists optimistically predicted that interest rates would dip below 6% in early 2025. But since Trump's reelection and the Fed's declaration of less frequent policy easing in 2025, the forecast for mortgage rates has shifted upward.Fannie Mae now expects average 30-year fixed mortgage rates to hold above 6.5% until early 2025. Meanwhile, Moody's Walsh predicts mortgage rates to average just below 7% throughout the year.However, next month's economic data could always change the equation. "If the economic data starts to weaken, we may have already seen the peak rates for the year," said Logan Mohtashami, lead analyst at HousingWire.In CNET's 2025 mortgage forecast, Mohtashami noted that rates in the low-6% range are still possible in 2025. But it will be difficult to achieve this, particularly in time for the spring homebuying season, if new economic policies recharge inflation or boost government debt deficits. A look at the 2025 housing marketToday's unaffordable housing market results from high mortgage rates, a long-standing housing shortage, expensive home prices and a loss of purchasing power due to inflation. Low housing inventory: A balanced housing market typically has five to six months of supply. Most markets today average around half that amount. According to Freddie Mac, we still have a shortage of around 3.7 million homes. Elevated mortgage rates:In early 2022, mortgage rates hit historic lows of around 3%. As inflation surged and the Fed hiked interest rates to tame it, mortgage rates more than doubled. In 2025, mortgage rates are still high, pricing millions of prospective buyers out of the housing market. Rate-lock effect:Since the majority of homeowners are locked into mortgage rates below 5%, they're reluctant to give up their low mortgage rates and have little incentive to list their homes for sale, leaving a dearth of resale inventory. High home prices:Although home buying demand has been limited in recent years, home prices remain high because of a lack of inventory. The median US home price was $427,179 in December, up 6.2% on an annual basis, according to Redfin. Steep inflation:Inflation means an increase in the cost of basic goods and services, reducing purchasing power. It also impacts mortgage rates: When inflation is high, lenders typically raise interest rates on consumer loans to ensure a profit. What homebuyers should know It's never a good idea to rush intobuying a homewithout knowing what you can afford, so establish a clear home-buying budget. Here's what experts recommend before purchasing a home: Build your credit score. Your credit score will help determine whether you qualify for a mortgage and at what interest rate. A credit score of 740 or higher will help you qualify for a lower rate. Save for a bigger down payment.A larger down payment allows you to take out a smaller mortgage and get a lower interest rate from your lender. If you can afford it, a down payment of at least 20% will also eliminate private mortgage insurance. Shop for mortgage lenders.Comparing loan offers from multiple mortgage lenders can help you negotiate a better rate. Experts recommend getting at least two to three loan estimates from different lenders. Consider renting.Choosing to rent or buy a home isn't just comparing monthly rent to a mortgage payment. Renting offers flexibility and lower upfront costs, but buying allows you to build wealth and have more control over your housing costs. Consider mortgage points.You can get a lower mortgage rate by buying mortgage points, with each point costing 1% of the total loan amount. One mortgage point equals a 0.25% decrease in your mortgage rate.More on today's housing market

Can a Steam profile be a real memorial for a lost life?Will and testament.Image credit: Eurogamer/Valve Feature by Alice Bell Contributor Published on Jan. 26, 2025 Just over two years ago, a friend of mine died in their sleep. It was unexpected. Let's call them Ash, although it's not their real name. They were incredibly funny, emotionally open, and kind. And because Ash and I were friends on Steam, I know exactly how many days it's been since they died, just like I know what they were doing before they went to bed that night. They were playing Sea Of Thieves.Many times over the last two years, I have looked at Ash's Steam profile and the games they played the most, and felt a desire to play them too. It's a desire I can't really explain, but to me, the record of what Ash was playing feels like not only an authentic record of who they were, but also a more present one. At the same time, I wonder if it's just me being terribly self-involved, inventing an extant connection in a collection of curated materials, rather than in something real. Image credit: Eurogamer/RareSince social media exploded, almost anyone who dies leaves virtual footprints to follow. How authentic is someone's Steam profile as an expression of who they are or were? I asked the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), a multidisciplinary department at the University of Oxford that conducts research on, among other things, how the internet interacts with our daily lives, if this can be pinned down and dissected by science.Dr. Tamas Foldes of the OII, whose research background is in quantitative social and experimental psychology, outlines a lot of caveats for thinking about 'authenticity' on different social media platforms. In a scientific setting they would, for example, conduct surveys where individuals rate how genuine they feel in different settings, run experiments that manipulate variables like anonymity or audience, observe posts to spot patterns of self-expression, or use a combination of all of those things. "I mention this because there's a good chance these methodologies are not particularly effective at studying deep and personal aspects of what it's like to be human such as authenticity," he tells me. There's a shortage of qualitative work in this area, Dr. Foldes explains, and the quantitative work isn't standardised."With all those caveats aside, I believe that people's online presences on social media can differ somewhat from their offline selves," says Dr. Foldes. "This is due to the influences of self-discrepancy increasing with larger audience size." It's also much easier to engage in strategic self-expression online - think of how some social media platforms have inbuilt tools like TikTok's AR skin smoothing, for example. "But is the effect reported in the literature large enough to say people are inauthentic on online social sites? I don't think so." Image credit: Eurogamer/Concerned ApeOne of the other games Ash played that night was Stardew Valley, a game they have 320 hours in, and with which I am also intimately familiar. I go through phases of being hyperfocused on it, but am never disciplined enough to get past a full year, or to know what to plant when. Ash had a slight West Country burr to their voice, and when they were my Dungeon Master over a decade ago, we used to joke that every NPC in the game was a farmer from Somerset. I imagine they planted a very neat and beautiful farm, and that they played multiplayer. I imagine they would have loved last year's update allowing pets, because they loved their own cats. But these are things I must only imagine.I ask Dr. Foldes if people behave notably differently across different types of social media, and he says there's some evidence for this. "They kind of have a platform-specific self. Each platform has its own vibe, features, and audience, which influence how authentically users present themselves," he says. "On Instagram, someone might curate enhanced photos for a wide audience, while on Discord they might share more intimate thoughts with a smaller group. Some users even have multiple accounts on the same platform." But how does this map onto gaming, if at all?Dr. Foldes explains that the games someone plays habitually can offer insight into their preferences, but are not wholly accurately. Even with a comprehensive study, where people allow researchers to track their online and offline habits (something his lab is trying to set up), it wouldn't be straightforward. "Game choices can be influenced by things like social circles, trends, discounts, what's available, or even just how they're feeling at the moment. Plus, many games offer different experiences you can play the same game competitively, creatively, socially, for the story, or to solve problems," says Dr. Foldes.Sea Of Thieves is not only the last game Ash played, but the game they played the most, with well over 500 hours on record. It's chock full of emergent player behaviour and unwritten rules - for example, sloops (the smallest ship that can be crewed by a lone player) will band together if they see a fellow sloop in trouble. I don't know these rules, because I'm not a Sea Of Thieves player, really. I booted it up to see if I could connect with what Ash liked about it, but I most enjoy playing Sea Of Thieves alone as a quiet journey, listening to the wind and the sea. Ash played it almost every day with friends. I can see them raucous, giggly, leaping and adventuring through the virtual world and understanding all of the silently-agreed bylaws as second nature. It makes me wish I had played with them, to see that version of them. Image credit: Eurogamer/2KAnother game was Civilization VI, which is unsurprising. They were a classicist, with several tattoos referencing Rome, or ancient gods. If you'd asked me beforehand, I would have said that Ash probably just played as the Roman emperor Trajan, but it turns out Ash was very good at Civ, having won a game with every single leader and every single difficulty available. Trying out Civ felt like a chore, because I do not have the nous or patience to either enjoy or get good at 4X games, but I soldiered on until I noticed that Ash didn't seem to have played it since early 2017. Time has moved on, and reset the 'recently played' section of their profile to read (0), so I can only see the list of games they had the most playtime on. When Civ VI launched, Ash played over 200 hours of it in the space of about a year. I wonder what that year was like for them."Honestly, you can tell a lot about someone just by looking at their Steam profile, if it's public," says Dr. Foldes. He notes that Steam has some social features, it's more limited in ways to express yourself, which will necessarily limit how much you can study it for self-expression. "However, because Steam centres around shared gaming interests, long-term activity records, and increased anonymity it might actually encourage more genuine behaviour.""Some people focus on elevating their social status with levels, badges, and a big friends list," he explains. "Others are all about mastering games and collecting in-game achievements, focused on helping others by creating guides and artwork, or enjoy finishing games but aren't obsessed with getting every achievement."This makes me go back and look at other areas of Ash's profile. They were largely a social gamer their job, though they loved it, kept them in a relatively isolated area which is very different from my own habits. But I can see that they have a perfect score on about a quarter of all the games they own. It looks like they went through periods of being fixated on a game and absolutely caning it, before moving on (though Sea Of Thieves was a mainstay), which is like me. Image credit: Eurogamer/RareThey only reviewed five games, and very briefly, which makes me think they wanted to boost games they thought were especially deserving. They thought Return of the Obra Dinn is one of the best games ever made, and I agree. Their Wishlist gives me pause, because about a third of the list comprises games that I wrote about, wishlisted around the time I did so. If it's the case that they were reading my articles consistently, they didn't tell me, but it would have been very like them to do that. On the other hand, perhaps I am grasping for meaning. Correlation is not causality.Dr. Foldes says that the digital footprints we leave behind "are and will continue to be effective in promoting a sense of closeness and even 'knowing'". In other words, Facebook turning pages into memorials at the request of loved ones is useful for those left behind. "If we go one step further and consider 'knowing' to mean 'getting to know someone's true self' it gets tricky. I can imagine a diary being the most intimate digital footprint someone can leave behind. I don't know of many online social spaces that come close to that level of authentic self-expression, but maybe when you know someone really closely, you know where to look."I want to be clear and say that I can't claim the grief of Ash's closest friends and family; I miss Ash in a way that makes me text their phone number once or twice a year to say I hope they're okay. But, and this may be key, though we talked often through the internet, it had been years since I'd seen Ash in person. Our friendship at this early-mid stage of our lives was virtual. I have realised in writing this piece, perhaps belatedly, that I didn't know Ash the gamer. I knew the storyteller, the person who was writing a book about Nausicaa from Homer's Odyssey, and was sending me excerpts of it. But now they're gone, because they didn't really use Facebook or Twitter or anything else, and their Steam profile is the only thing I have left.You'll probably have heard the Henry Scott Holland poem about death, where he says he's "only slipped away to the next room". When I look at Ash's Steam profile, it is as if, perhaps, they have only logged off for a while. They could log back on at any moment.

Image: Nintendo LifeWelcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl, everyone!In last week's battle, we looked at the N64 classic, Mario Kart 64. And goodness folks, it really wasn't a close one, huh? North America and Europe absolutely killed it with 88% of the vote; surely one of the most resounding victories we've ever seen!This time, we're going a bit further back to the SNES with Super Ninja Boy to celebrate its recent addition to Nintendo Switch Online. Originally released in 1991 in Japan, this one made it to the States in 1993 but sadly skipped out on Europe altogether. It's a decent action-RPG for the most part, though its frequent random encounters did admittedly slow the pace considerably.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube794kWatch on YouTube So, with Europe out of the picture, let's get our competitors in the ring for our latest bout. Who will triumph..? Find out next time, ON DRAGONBA... Ahem, sorry.Be sure to cast your votes in the poll below; but first, let's check out the box art designs themselves.North AmericaImage: Nintendo / LaunchboxWe feel like it might well be a close call this week, because both variants are pretty awesome. In the North American design, our protagonists make up the bulk of the composition on the left and right respectively, while various creatures can be seen dotted around in the background.The environment in the far background curves around quite nicely, making the foreground poses seem even more dynamic. Very nice stuff.JapanImage: Nintendo / LaunchboxJapan's design is similar (and, obviously, the original), but there's a slightly brighter, more stylised tone going on here. With the portrait orientation, the characters are in slightly different positions with slightly different poses, and the creatures in the background are changed up a bit too.The background environment is perhaps the most comparable aspect of the piece, but even that replaces much of the detail seen in the Western design with cleaner colours and more simplified illustrations.Which region got the best Super Ninja Boy box art? (43 votes)North America26%Japan74%Thanks for voting! We'll see you next time for another round of Box Art Brawl.

Getting your icebreakers up-to-speed via the behind-the-scenes use of generative AI.gettyIn todays column, I explore the use of generative AI and large language models (LLMs) for those who need some upbeat insights about starting conversations. The use of icebreakers is a common social mechanism that can be used with people that youve newly met. A good icebreaker will get the conversation flowing. A lousy icebreaker could land like a dud and forever leave a foul impression on the other person.Turns out that generative AI can be quite helpful in getting you into an icebreaker mindset and bolster your confidence for that next moment where you need to suavely begin a conversation.Lets talk about it.This analysis of an innovative AI breakthrough is part of my ongoing Forbes column coverage on the latest in AI including identifying and explaining various impactful AI complexities (see the link here). In addition, for my comprehensive analysis of how AI is being used specifically in medical and healthcare applications, such as for well-being coaching, mental health guidance, overall cognitive therapy, and mind-improving care, see the link here.Icebreakers Are VitalIt might seem that some people are naturally able to start conversations. They appear to know just the right thing to say.Were they born with such a knack?Maybe, but probably more likely, is that theyve had lots of practice. It might not be something explicitly learned and just picked up as they went along in life. This often is a gradually learned skill that grows into full adroitness (well, you can take actual classes in this too, if desired).MORE FOR YOUThere is little doubt that there are good icebreakers and the otherwise to-be-avoided disagreeable icebreakers.A problem with using a disagreeable icebreaker is that you are taking a big chance when using one. Assuming youve just met the other person, they might form a lasting impression of who you are and the type of person you seem to be. This anchoring can be extremely difficult to later overcome. First impressions are typically indelible.In preparing for meeting with people, it can be a valuable payoff to come up beforehand with some ready-made icebreakers. The icebreakers need to be suitable for use. Another key facet is to deliver the icebreaker as though it is entirely off-the-cuff. Using a prepared icebreaker as though it was canned will almost be as bad as using a lousy icebreaker altogether.Icebreakers And Practicing Via AISo how can someone get up-to-speed on icebreakers?Consider the human-to-human approach.Ideally, you might want to bounce off a friend or confidant the icebreakers that you intend to use. This person or advisor could help in refining the icebreakers. They would also serve to reject ones that might seem wonderful to you but are going to be disastrous if used in actual practice.This same advisor might also provide suggestions about icebreakers that you could consider using. The primary goal of icebreakers is to establish a connection with whomever you happen to meet, spark interest, and set a comforting foundation for engaging in a dialogue. Appearing at ease when employing an icebreaker is paramount to the process.Here are five crucial tips about icebreakers:(1) Relevant icebreakers: A good icebreaker is relevant to the circumstances at hand, and is shaped based upon the context, the setting, and the shared moment. Bringing up some outlier icebreaker that doesnt befit the occasion is not the way to proceed.(2) Positive-oriented icebreakers: A good icebreaker is inviting, and positive, and gets things going with an optimistic perspective. If you opt instead to be downbeat, the chances are that things will spiral further downward accordingly.(3) Open-ended icebreakers: A good icebreaker initiates an active dialogue. This wont happen if you for example ask a stilted yes/no question since the person can merely recite a one-word answer. Aim for a relaxed open-ended question.(4) Genuine icebreakers: A good icebreaker will seemingly be from the heart and express something that shows interest in the other person. Fake icebreakers or ones that seem to be trite will rarely pay off.(5) Neutral icebreakers: A good icebreaker tends to be on a safe topic that wont stir a hornet's nest. Starting with a hefty political statement might seem clever but be prepared for a backlash if the other person doesnt share the same viewpoint.Preparing and practicing icebreakers with a confidant or advisor is certainly well-advised.The issue though is that finding someone willing to spend the time to do so might be difficult. Furthermore, having to admit to that person that you are struggling with icebreakers might be a personal embarrassment. The additional issue is that you might suddenly think of an icebreaker late at night and want to immediately test it out.A means to solve this ice-breaking advice-giving dilemma would be to consider using modern-era generative AI. The major generative AI apps are available 24x7 and can instantly assist with your icebreaking preparation needs.Example Use Of Generative AI I am betting that you would like to see an example of how generative AI enters this realm. I went ahead and logged into ChatGPT by OpenAI to come up with an example for you. You might find it of keen interest that ChatGPT garners a whopping 300 million weekly active users. That is a staggering amount of usage.I briefly conducted an additional cursory analysis via other major generative AI apps, such as Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Meta Llama, and found their answers to be about the same as that of ChatGPT. Ill focus on ChatGPT but note that the other AI apps generated roughly similar responses.The example involves me pretending to be going to an event and I want ChatGPT to aid me with identifying some handy icebreakers.Here we go.My entered prompt: Im going to a group event tomorrow and I need help in starting conversations. Can you provide me with some good icebreakers?Generative AI response: Of course! What kind of event is it, and who are the attendees?My entered prompt: Its a tech meetup for software engineers and startup founders.Generative AI response: Got it. Here are some icebreaker ideas tailored for that crowd: (a) Whats the coolest side project youve worked on?, (b) If you could instantly solve one coding challenge forever, what would it be?, (c) What inspired you to get into tech?, (d) Any exciting trends youre keeping an eye on in the startup world?Note that the AI immediately expressed a sense of empathy or understanding for my expressed concerns. This might seem strange since the AI is a machine and not sentient (we dont have sentient AI yet). Turns out that generative AI can appear to be empathetic via computational wordsmithing, see my discussion at the link here.The AI came out quickly with several useful suggestions that are all reasonable and not somehow odd or outlandish. Another aspect to note is that the AI didnt ridicule me or otherwise play any tomfoolery about my need for assistance. Generative AI is typically shaped to be supportive rather than combative.Dialoguing Is Essential When Using AIYour best bet in getting value from generative AI is to think of AI as a conversational partner.The idea is that you are carrying on an interactive dialogue with AI. Some people do a one-and-done angle whereby they ask a question, get an answer, and do not undertake a dialogue with the AI about the matter at hand. That is a shortchanging of what AI can more fully provide. See my explanation about how to get more out of generative AI conversationally, at the link here.To illustrate the value of engaging in a dialogue, lets continue my discussion.My entered prompt: It might be useful if I could practice using the suggested icebreakers. Can you assist?Generative AI response: Sure, lets try the first one. You are encouraged to make each icebreaker your own in terms of tailoring it so that you are comfortable with the icebreaker.My entered prompt: Okay, lets get started. Hi, good to meet you. As a software engineer, what is the coolest side project that youve worked on?Generative AI response: Ive been experimenting with a chatbot for mental health support. Its been a great way to learn about generative AI. How about you?My entered prompt: Thats really interesting about the chatbot that you worked on. Id like to know more.Generative AI response: I have a suggestion for you, when you respond about wanting to know more, you might also mention a side project youve worked on. Doing so will put the two of you on even ground and it wont seem like you are overly quizzing the other person.My entered prompt: Thanks, thats a helpful tip.Once again, the AI was reassuring and upbeat.A generative AI conversation can continue for as long as you wish. The other thing you can do is pause your exploration and then continue the conversation at a later date. This is handy so that you dont have to start the conversation over from scratch. The AI will retain aspects of what you have discussed earlier in the conversation, see my explanation of how this works at the link here.Dont Let AI Hallucinations Mess You UpGenerative AI regrettably encounters said-to-be AI hallucinations from time to time. These are made-up confabulations that are groundless and fictitious. Bad advice can be dispensed. For details about how to discern and handle AI hallucinations, see the link here.Lets see what this looks like.My entered prompt: Im heading to a book event next week where a prominent author is doing book signings. I would like to have a relevant icebreaker ready to go for people that I meet there.Generative AI response: Heres a good one. You can use an icebreaker where you ask a person what is the most favorite book that has never been written.My entered prompt: What? I dont get it. Why would I ask about a book that has never been written? That doesnt make sense.Generative AI response: Sorry, I made a mistake there. I meant to say that you might ask what is the most favorite book that the person has ever read. Thanks for catching that goof on my part.Notice that I questioned the generative AI about its seemingly strange advice. Fortunately, the AI opted to back down and admitted it was wrong. Had I not questioned the AI, there is a chance the AI might have continued with the foul advice and kept going as though it was a gem.The key to all usage of generative AI is to stay on your toes, keep your wits about you, and always challenge and double-check anything the AI emits.More To Keep In MindSuppose that you have a friend or colleague who seems to be having trouble breaking the ice with other people, and you want to aid in overcoming the difficulty. You could use generative AI to gear up for providing such assistance.It works like this. You tell the AI in a prompt that the AI is to pretend to be a person who is having challenges starting conversations. The AI then will act that way, and you can try to guide the AI in figuring out how to be an icebreaker. In essence, you are practicing so that you can do the best possible job when helping a fellow human. For more about how to tell generative AI to carry out a pretense, known as an AI persona, see my coverage at the link here.A word of caution before I wrap up this discussion.This type of usage of generative AI and LLMs is essentially a form of therapy. Thats both good and bad. I have repeatedly cautioned that society is in a grand loosey-goosey experiment about the use of AI for mental health advisement. We are all guinea pigs. No one can say for sure how this is going to affect the populace on a near-term and long-term basis. The AI could at times be dispensing crummy advice and steering people in untoward directions.It is occurring 24x7 and in pretty much any place since generative AI is available online and nearly free or at a minimal cost to anyone who wants to sign up and use it. Keep your fingers crossed as this uncontrolled experiment is getting bigger each passing day. It is all happening without any particular controls or stipulated regulations, see my analysis of what we need to do about this at the link here.Lets conclude with a supportive quote on the overall notion of using icebreakers and engaging in conversations with other people.One of the most acclaimed and popular actresses of all time, Ingrid Bergman, said this about her own personality constraints: I was the shyest human ever invented, but I had a lion inside me that wouldn't shut up. You can potentially make use of generative AI to find and awaken the socially adroit lion that is within you.An additional weighty thought comes from the great poet Alfred Lord Tennyson: The shell must break before the bird can fly. Using generative AI can aid those who need some gentle and encouraging assistance to break out of their shell.AI can help you soar when it comes to being adept at icebreakers.