Apple has released a new developer beta firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4, but it's not clear what the update contains.Apple has released a new developer beta firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AIrPods 4.Thursday's developer beta increases the build number to 7E5067b, up from the previous 7B21 and 7B20 updates. This beta software release is available for Air Pods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, both the USB-C and Lightning models. The software won't be released for AirPods Max or other non-H2 devices.Apple periodically releases beta software updates for nearly all its platforms, including AirPods. While beta updates for Apple's mobile and desktop operating systems are released much more frequently, developers still rely on beta software for AirPods to test new features ahead of launch. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

TheUWMilwaukee School of Architecture & Urban Planninghas shared its Spring speakers and lecture poster, designed by Milo Bonacci, to go along with ourGet Lecturedroundups for the new semester.The list not-to-miss of guest lecturers begins with Damian Buchman (January 29); Alexander Eisenschmidt (February 14); Sebastian Schmaling (February 21); Deshea Agee and Nathan Mattimore (February 26); Lola Sheppard (February 28); Kyle Talbott (March 14); Jodi Amble and Ben Behlke (March 26); and the Marcus Prize Lecture from DnA_Design and Architecture founding principal Tiantian Xu (March 28).Lecture poster design by Milo Bonacci, courtesy of UWMilwaukee School of Architecture & Urban PlanningAfter that, the lectures continue with Jennifer Johung (April 4); Rosalyne Shieh (April 11); Gia Biagi (April 17); and finally Mike Amsden and James Hannig (April 30).Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your poster and details toconnect@archinect.com....

A new UNESCO-backed project geared toward human rights and ending antisemitism has named Daniel Libeskind as the architect who will transform the former private home of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Hss into a learning center.The project is called Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism, and Radicalization (or ARCHER) at House 88. As the name suggests, it will remake the home (which was depicted in Jonathan Glazer's 2023 film The Zone of Interest) into a space that honors the memory of the camp's victims while serving "unique opportunity to remember the victims of extremism while, at the same time, taking action to prevent the radicalization of future generations."Related on Archinect: Daniel Libeskind designs new exhibition at Auschwitz-BirkenauLibeskind, who is designing a memorial to the eleven victims of the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, said: "I am deeply privileged to be part of a project of such historical importance and magnitude. By transforming...

DOOM (2016)andDOOM Eternal were both billed first and foremost as single-player experiences, though they did also have multiplayer components that a fair few players played and enjoyed. Withthe series next instalment, however, developer id Software has made the decision to focus all of its energies on the single-player experience.Speaking in a recent Q&A session with the media attended by GamingBolt, executive producer Marty Stratton confirmed that DOOM: The Dark Ageswont have multiplayer.We made that decision really from the jump, Stratton said. We wanted to basically free ourselves to create things like the Atlan and the mech experience and the dragon experience. Those are both almost like mini-games within the game. We know that our campaigns are to a great extent what people come to the modern DOOMgames to play, so we decided to put all of our efforts behind that and really create the biggest and bestDOOMgame weve ever made.In a separate Q&A session (via Eurogamer), director Hugo Martin echoed Strattons statements and explained that the decision to drop multiplayer and focus only on the single-player campaign allowed id Software to include the games much-touted Atlan mech and dragon sections.Thats why we were able to put the dragon and the Atlan [mech] in, he said. I mean, these are things we wanted to do in the game for, like, multiple games now, but couldnt, because we had a multiplayer component which we loved but really, it was meant to just focus on the single player campaign and just level up that experience for players.Of course, withDOOM: The Dark Agesconfirmed to be id Softwares largest campaign ever by a good bit owing to its semi-open world nature and expanded focus on exploration its fair to say that it wont be lacking in content, multiplayer or no. Additionally, the shooter will also receive post-launch campaign DLC, its been confirmed.DOOM: The Dark Ageslaunches on May 15 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out its PC requirements through here.

id Software loves to push the envelope with itsDOOMgames technical ambitions, andDOOM: The Dark Agesis looking like another graphical powerhouse. Its not too surprising, then, that the upcoming first-person shooters newly revealed PC requirements are looking quite steep, even on the lowest setting.To run the game at 1080p and 60 FPS on minimum settings, youll need either an i7 10700K or a Ryzen 7 3700X, along with either a GeForce RTX 2060 Super or a Radeon RX 6600, and 16 GB of RAM. On recommended settings, to play the game at 1440p and 60 FPS, youll need either an i7 12700K or a Ryzen 7 5700X, along with either a GeForce RTX 3080 or a Radeon RX 6800, and 32 GB of RAM.Finally, for Ultra settings, to run the game at 4K and 60 FPS, youll need either i7 12700K or a Ryzen 7 5700X, and either a GeForce RTX 4080 or a Radeon RX 7900XT.Across all setups, youll also need an SSD and around 100 GB of free storage space. You can check out the full system requirements below.DOOM: The Dark Ageslaunches on May 15 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Chartres Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, is a Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) southwest of Paris. It is the seat of the bishop of Chartres. Mostly constructed between 1194 and 1220, it stands on the site of at least five cathedrals that have occupied the site since the Diocese of Chartres was formed as an episcopal see in the 4th century. It is one of the best-known and most influential examples of High Gothic and Classic Gothic architecture. Chartres Cathedral is known for its stained glass, and contains 167 stained-glass windows dating from the 12th century to the 20th century. This photograph shows the stained glass in the north transept of Chartres Cathedral. The rose window, which is 10.5 metres (34 feet) in diameter, was installed circa 1230 and contains imagery relating to the Virgin Mary and figures from the Old Testament. The presence of the coats of arms of King LouisIX and his mother Blanche of Castile are taken as a sign of royal patronage for this window. Below the rose are five lancet windows, each 7.5 metres (25 feet) tall, depicting Saint Anne and four Old Testament figures.Photograph credit: PtrQsRecently featured: GarlicCattle tyrant and capybaraIn the LogeArchiveMore featured pictures

Trump unveils ambitious $500 billion 'Project Stargate' AI initiative with tech giants OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, sparking controversy as Elon Musk questions funding and environmentalists raise concerns about massive data centers.Read More

Savvy Games Group expanded its leadership team with former executive director of the International Game Developers Association Foundation, Nika Nour. Nour, who carries over a decades experience in games and esports, and held positions at Genvid Entertainment, Entertainment Software Association, Internet Association and more, joins Savvy Games GrouRead More

Following last months test, Threads will now let everyone schedule posts, Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced on Thursday. You can use the feature by creating a new post, selecting the three-dot menu in the top-left corner, and selecting Schedule.Once you get your post timed up, you can view, delete, or edit it from your drafts folder. Threads will let you schedule your posts up to 75 days in advance, but it wont allow you to schedule replies. Screenshot: The VergeMosseri also said that Threads is adding a way to markup a post youre resharing. Based on early versions of the feature shared by users, it looks like it will let you draw over, highlight, or add arrows to an existing post. This feature is rolling out to a few countries with more to come soon.There are some big changes in store for Threads, which will also trade fact-checking for Community Notes as part of Metas broader moderation shift. The X competitor will start adding political content to recommendations as well.

Many EV manufacturers have leaned heavily on energy-gulping resistive heaters to keep the cabin and battery warm in the winter time. But heat pumps, which can cut down on battery range losses in the cold, are becoming more prevalent in EVs, and they could help EV owners in the US who are dealing with the low temperatures across much of the country this week.EV research site Recurrent reported that heat pumps can improve drivable range in below freezing temperatures by about 8 to 10 percent. The site tested this by comparing the ranges of 2020 Model 3 and Model S vehicles that lack heat pumps against 2021 versions that have them.Recurrents data shows that the Tesla Model X and the Audi E-Tron only lose about 11 to 13 percent of their range at 32 degrees Fahrenheit compared to driving them in ideal temperatures hovering around 70 degrees, as The Washington Post notes, making them among the best heat pump-equipped EVs.. However, The Washington Post says that heat pumps arent as effective below 15 degrees.A heat pump works by efficiently transferring heat generated by the car to the cabin and other components. Similarly, gas cars have long used a heater core to transfer wasted heat energy from its internal combustion engine into the cabin.Heat pumps have made their way into popular EVs like Teslas as early as 2021 and are coming to other top models like Fords Mustang Mach-E for the 2025 model year. They also are already in many EVs on the road today, including the Polestar 2, Honda Prologue, Chevy Equinox EV, Kia EV6, Rivians, and even some Nissan Leaf models as early as 2013. Recurrent has a complete list of EVs that have heat pumps.Older EVs with smaller batteries that lack heat pumps demonstrate cold range loss more vividly. For instance, my sister, who is driving a 2017 Ford Focus Electric, is only getting about 80 miles of range in the freezing cold with its resistive heaters off and only about 50 with it on. That could be the difference between being able to do a full work commute roundtrip without stopping or needing to find a (hopefully working) DC fast charging station on the way back.Weve previously shared some tips on how to handle EVs in the winter that can help you through icy situations on the road. Some tips include preconditioning your vehicle while plugged in before leaving and brushing snow off more often since it wont melt off the hood like a gas car.