This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first,sign up here. Just a week in, the AI sector has already seen its first battle of wits under the new Trump administration. The clash stems from two key pieces of news: the announcement of the Stargate project, which would spend $500 billionmore than the Apollo space programon new AI data centers, and the release of a powerful new model from China. Together, they raise important questions the industry needs to answer about the extent to which the race for more data centerswith their heavy environmental tollis really necessary. A reminder about the first piece: OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank, and an Abu Dhabibased investment fund called MGX plan to spend up to $500 billion opening massive data centers around the US to build better AI. Much of the groundwork for this project was laid in 2024, when OpenAI increased its lobbying spending sevenfold (which we were first to report last week) and AI companies started pushing for policies that were less about controlling problems like deepfakes and misinformation, and more about securing more energy. Still, Trump received credit for it from tech leaders when he announced the effort on his second day in office. I think this will be the most important project of this era, OpenAIs Sam Altman said at the launch event, adding, We wouldnt be able to do this without you, Mr. President. Its an incredible sum, just slightly less than the inflation-adjusted cost of building the US highway system over the course of more than 30 years. However, not everyone sees Stargate as having the same public benefit. Environmental groups say it could strain local grids and further drive up the cost of energy for the rest of us, who arent guzzling it to train and deploy AI models. Previous research has also shown that data centers tend to be built in areas that use much more carbon-intensive sources of energy, like coal, than the national average. Its not clear how much, if at all, Stargate will rely on renewable energy. Even louder critics of Stargate, though, include Elon Musk. None of Musks companies are involved in the project, and he has attempted to publicly sow doubt that OpenAI and SoftBank have enough of the money needed for the plan anyway, claims that Altman disputed on X. Musks decision to publicly criticize the presidents initiative has irked people in Trumps orbit, Politico reports, but its not clear if those people have expressed that to Musk directly. On to the second piece. On the day Trump was inaugurated, a Chinese startup released an AI model that started making a whole bunch of important people in Silicon Valley very worried about their competition. (This close timing is almost certainly not an accident.) The model, called DeepSeek R1, is a reasoning model. These types of models are designed to excel at math, logic, pattern-finding, and decision-making. DeepSeek proved it could reason through complicated problems as well as one of OpenAIs reasoning models, o1and more efficiently. Whats more, DeepSeek isnt a super-secret project kept behind lock and key like OpenAIs. It was released for all to see. DeepSeek was released as the US has made outcompeting China in the AI race a top priority. This goal was a driving force behind the 2022 CHIPS Act to make more chips domestically. Its influenced the position of tech companies like OpenAI, which has embraced lending its models to national security work and has partnered with the defense-tech company Anduril to help the military take down drones. Its led to export controls that limit what types of chips Nvidia can sell to China. The success of DeepSeek signals that these efforts arent working as well as AI leaders in the US would like (though its worth noting that the impact of export controls for chips isnt felt for a few years, so the policy wouldnt be expected to have prevented a model like DeepSeek). Still, the model poses a threat to the bottom line of certain players in Big Tech. Why pay for an expensive model from OpenAI when you can get access to DeepSeek for free? Even other makers of open-source models, especially Meta, are panicking about the competition, according to The Information. The company has set up a number of war rooms to figure out how DeepSeek was made so efficient. (A couple of days after the Stargate announcement, Meta said it would increase its own capital investments by 70% to build more AI infrastructure.) What does this all mean for the Stargate project? Lets think about why OpenAI and its partners are willing to spend $500 billion on data centers to begin with. They believe that AI in its various formsnot just chatbots or generative video or even new AI agents, but also developments yet to be unveiledwill be the most lucrative tool humanity has ever built. They also believe that access to powerful chips inside massive data centers is the key to getting there. DeepSeek poked some holes in that approach. It didnt train on yet-unreleased chips that are light-years ahead. It didnt, to our knowledge, require the eye-watering amounts of computing power and energy behind the models from US companies that have made headlines. Its designers made clever decisions in the name of efficiency. In theory, it could make a project like Stargate seem less urgent and less necessary. Thus far, DeepSeek doesnt seem to have sparked such a change in approach. OpenAI researcher Noam Brown wrote on X, I have no doubt that with even more compute it would be an even more powerful model. If his logic wins out, the players with the most computing power will win, and getting it is apparently worth at least $500 billion to AIs biggest companies. But lets rememberannouncing it is the easiest part. Now read the rest of The Algorithm Deeper Learning Whats next for robots Many of the big questions about AI-how it learns, how well it works, and where it should be deployedare now applicable to robotics. In the year ahead, we will see humanoid robots being put to the test in warehouses and factories, robots learning in simulated worlds, and a rapid increase in the militarys adoption of autonomous drones, submarines, and more. Why it matters: Jensen Huang, the highly influential CEO of the chipmaker Nvidia, stated last month that the next advancement in AI will mean giving the technology a body of sorts in the physical world. This will come in the form of advanced robotics. Even with the caveat that robotics is full of futuristic promises that usually arent fulfilled by their deadlines, the marrying of AI methods with new advancements in robots means the field is changing quickly. Read more here. Bits and Bytes Leaked documents expose deep ties between Israeli army and Microsoft Since the attacks of October 7, the Israeli military has relied heavily on cloud and AI services from Microsoft and its partner OpenAI, and the tech giants staff has embedded with different units to support rollout, a joint investigation reveals. (+972 Magazine) The tech arsenal that could power Trumps immigration crackdown The effort by federal agencies to acquire powerful technology to identify and track migrants has been unfolding for years across multiple administrations. These technologies may be called upon more directly under President Trump. (The New York Times) OpenAI launches Operatoran agent that can use a computer for you Operator is a web app that can carry out simple online tasks in a browser, such as booking concert tickets or making an online grocery order. (MIT Technology Review) The second wave of AI coding is here A string of startups are racing to build models that can produce better and better software. But its not only AIs increasingly powerful ability to write code thats impressive. They claim its the shortest path to superintelligent AI. (MIT Technology Review)

Plans for 357 homes at former gasworks site signed off after second staircase redesignFoster & Partners' revised plans for the former gasworks site in Fulham1/9show captionBerkeley has been given the green light for two residential towers in Fulham designed by Foster & Partners.The fourth phase of the Kings Road Park masterplan will consist of 357 homes in towers of 28 and 38 storeys sharing a seven-storey podium building.It is part of one of the largest regeneration projects in central London, which will see a total of 1,800 homes built across six phases on a former gasworks site containing one of the worlds oldest surviving gasholders.Hammersmith and Fulham councils backing for the application, which originally contained three towers, comes eight months after Berkeley was forced to redesign the scheme to add second staircases.Original plans for the wider masterplan were given outline approval in February 2019 but were hit by a number of delays and redesigns addressing its housing mix and section 106 agreement.The fourth phase, the only part of the scheme to include towers of substantial height were then hit by further delays earlier this year due to new fire safety requirements in residential buildings above 18m which are due to come into force next year.Foster & Partners redesign, submitted in June last year, cut one tower from the proposals, shortened one tower by one storey and increased its shoulder component from 27 to 32 storeys.Original plans for the fourth phase of the masterplan, featuring three towersRevised plans submitted last year cut one tower and expanded the remaining two1/2show captionThe smaller towers shoulder component was also increased by one storey, while the footprints of both buildings were increased to absorb floorspace lost from the scrapped third tower.Berkeley subsidiary St William has said there had been no overall loss of residential floorspace across the scheme due to the amalgamation of the three towers into two.The plans also include 1.9 acres of new parkland, which has been expanded by around 7% compared to the original application.The project team includes planning consultant Lichfields, landscape architect Gillespies, environmental consultant Buro Happold, MEP consultant WSP, facade engineer Wintech, daylight and sunlight consultant GIA and wind consultant Urban Microclimate.

City tower designed for Brookfield up before councillors on FridayThe office will be one of the tallest in the Citys main tower clusterRSHPs proposals for one of the City of Londons tallest office towers at 99 Bishopsgate are expected to be approved this Friday.The 54-storey scheme, part of the growing cluster of towers in the east of the Square Mile, has been recommended for approval by planning officers ahead of a planning committee meeting on 31 January.The tower is intended to act as a gateway into the rest of the Citys main tower clusterDesigned by Brookfield, and expected to be built by its subsidiary Multiplex, it will see the sites existing 28-storey 1970s building demolished to ground level and replaced by 99,000 sq m of commercial floorspace along with a separate six-storey cultural centre.It would also result in a significant transformation of the public realm around the crossroads between Bishopsgate and Wormwood Street, opening up a ground level pedestrian route underneath the building, similar to the open space beneath RSHPs other large City tower, the Cheesegrater.This space would host a new retail, food and drink hub at street level known as the City Market with seating areas, which is intended boost footfall in the area and act as a gateway into the rest of the tower cluster.City planners said the proposals exude architectural excellence and would provide an exceptional new addition to the edge of the cluster.The recommendation for approval comes despite objections by Historic England and St Pauls Cathedral, which have raised concerns about the height of the tower and its impact on protected views.Officers admitted the building would slightly and momentarily diminish the ability to appreciate St Pauls when viewed from the river but this harm was decisively outweighed by the schemes public benefits, including the cultural centre and market space.How the tower would look at street level, showing the proposed market spaceHistoric England said in its objection last November that the tower would create a cliff edge on the border of the cluster which would harm protected views of the grade I-listed cathedral, which is considered the most important heritage asset in the City.A total of 37 letters of objection to the scheme were received by the City against two letters of support.St Pauls Cathedral said in its objection that the tower would cause significant harm to the building and criticised the heritage assessment drawn up as part of the application as erroneous.The assessment submitted by the applicant is so deficient, we suggest, that the regulator should either undertake their own new assessment, or commission a more properly objective and professional evaluation, the cathedral said.The assessment claims that the buildings design, which includes a chamfered corner at roof level, creates a subtle step down at the edge of the cluster which reduced the towers impact on views of the cathedral.The project team for 99 Bishopsgate includes T&T Alinea on costs, AKT II on structural engineering, Ramboll on MEP services, Atelier 10 on sustainability, Momentum on transport, GIA on sunlight and wind, Trium Environmental Consulting on environment and Andy Sturgeon as landscape architect.Planning consultant DP9, communications consultant Kanda Consulting and heritage and townscape consultant The Townscape Consultancy are also on the team.

JCT Construct is a subscription-based contract drafting system with advanced editing features, enabling you to create and amend your JCT contracts in a secure, flexible, and easy-to-use online environment. Depending on the type of subscription chosen, JCT Construct also provides instant access to each JCT 2024 Edition contract, as soon as it is published.With JCT Constructs powerful tools, you can edit the JCT contract text itself, adding your own amendments, clauses, or other customised text. The system also features an intuitive Q&A-driven process to assist you in filling in your contract comprehensively.The JCT Construct system generates your contract in plain copy as well as a comparison document, making it possible to easily read the contracts and see all the changes from the published JCT text.Guest sharing supports collaborative working amongst those involved in the contract drafting to share drafts, to edit, and to see all the changes. Version-to-version comparison allows you to see any changes between draft versions and against the published JCT text, ensuring full transparency between the parties to the contract at all times.Key benefitsEasy to use, flexible, and secure online contract drafting.Access to each JCT 2024 Edition contract, as soon as it is publishedAdd your own amendments, clauses, and other customised text. Clause numbers, cross-references in the JCT text, and table of contents all update automatically.Guest sharing supports collaboration and enables all those involved in the drafting to share drafts, edit, and see all the changes.Create boilerplates so you can re-use your standard set of changes.Print draft contracts for review.Print final contracts for signing.Print comparison documents showing all changes against the published JCT text for full transparency.Learn more and choose your subscription at jctltd.co.uk/jct-construct 2025-01-28AJ Contributorcomment and share

The 56-year-old Dhaka-born architects proposal for the temporary structure in Kensington Gardens, London, will be the 24th in the gallerys ongoing series of annual architectural commissions, which began 25 years ago with Zaha Hadid (see full list of previous designers below) in 2000.Tabassumset up MTA in 2005 after a decade working for Dhaka-based studio URBANA, during which time the firm won international design competitions for the Independence Monument of Bangladesh and the countrys Museum of Independence.In 2016, she received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the Bait ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka, and in 2021 Tabassum was awarded the Soane Medal in recognition of her pioneering work designing low-cost temporary homes for refugees and victims of climate change.AdvertisementMore on this topicMarina Tabassum completes demountable house for Vitra CampusTabassum teaches at several universities, including the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands. In 2023, Tabassum held the Norman Foster Chair at Yale University.The concept for the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion, which has been titled A Capsule in Time, draws on the history and form of Shamiyana tents and awnings used for ceremonial occasions in South Asia, while honouring arched garden canopies found in the surrounding park.Set up on a north-to-south axis, the oblong-shaped pavilion features four wooden capsules, or arches, which will diffuse daylight and simultaneously provide shelter. The design also includes a kinetic element whereby one of the capsule elements can move and connect with another. In the middle, a courtyard space with a tree will align with the Serpentine Gallerys belltower. Source:Marina Tabassum Architects2025 Serpentine PavilionExplaining the teams approach to designing the pavilion, Tabassum said: When conceiving our design, we reflected on the transient nature of the commission, which appears to us as a capsule of memory and time. The archaic volume of a half-capsule, generated by geometry and wrapped in light semi-transparent material, will create a play of filtered light that will pierce through the structure as if under a Shamiyana at a Bengali wedding.Serpentine chief executive Bettina Korek and artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist said: A Capsule in Time will honour connections with the Earth and celebrate the spirit of community. Built around a mature tree at the centre of the structure, Tabassums design will bring the park inside the Pavilion. Its kinetic dimension will also harken back to the levitating element of Rem Koolhaas & Cecil Balmond with Arups Serpentine Pavilion 2006.AdvertisementLast summers pavilion, designed by Seoul-born Mass Studies founder Minsuk Cho, featured five islands arranged around an open space, similar to the small courtyards found in traditional Korean houses. Source:Asif SalmanMarina TabassumSerpentine Pavilion history2025 Marina Tabassum2024 Mass Studies2023 Lina Ghotmeh2022Theaster Gates2021Counterspace2019Junya Ishigami2018Frida Escobedo2017Dibdo Francis Kr2016 BIG Bjarke Ingels2015SelgasCano2014Smiljan Radic2013Sou Fujimoto2012Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei2011Peter Zumthor2010Jean Nouvel2009Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, SANAA2008Frank Gehry2007Olafur Eliasson and Kjetil Thorsen2006Rem Koolhaas and Cecil Balmond with Arup2005lvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura with Cecil Balmond, Arup2004 MVRDV with Arup (unrealised)2003Oscar Niemeyer2002Toyo Ito and Cecil Balmond with Arup2001Daniel Libeskind with Arup2000Zaha Hadid

Apple'sfoldable iPhonehas been floating around the rumor mill for years at this point. We'd tentatively hoped to see it launch during September's iPhone 16 event, but we were left disappointed. The rumors persist though and it's likely Apple will want to get in on the folding phone game at some point. Having tested, reviewed and photographed almost every foldable phone available since Samsung launched its first Z Fold back in 2019, I have some thoughts -- and words of caution -- for Apple as it gets closer to potentially unveiling an iPhone Flip.I've written before about why foldable phones have disappointed me and how Apple could be the company to give the category a boost. Because foldables really do need a boost. We've seen new foldables from Samsung, Google, Motorola, OnePlusand Xiaomi, but none of them have managed to get me especially excited. All those companies' new launches were just iterations of what they already had.Foldables are decent on the surface, but beyond the novelty of the bending display, they don't offer anything truly unique. The more Android companies that join the folding fray, the more concerned I've become that Apple could run into the same problem, with the iPhone Flip being a generic, redundant novelty. Watch this: When Is the iPhone Flip Going to Come Out? 08:04 A foldable iPhone needs to be more than just a regular iPhone with a screen that can bend.Here's what Apple needs to do.Focus on softwareUnfortunately, the foldable Android devices we've seen so far -- including the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 -- are essentially just regular Android phones with flexible displays. The hardware is impressive, sure, but once you get over the novelty of a phone that bends in half it just becomes like any other phone. Except one you've paid a huge amount of money for.The problem is that while the folding hardware works well, the software is basically the same that you'd find on the non-folding versions of the phones. There are few adjustments for the larger displays in the core Android software and most third-party apps don't really take advantage of the format. As a result, I'm still waiting for that "oh wow" moment that makes me see the true value of a folding phone. The hardware on Samsung's Z Fold 6 has certainly evolved since the first Z Fold, but the software remains pretty underwhelming. Andrew Lanxon/CNETI had hoped that Google, as the maker of Android, would develop more software features that would make full use of the folding format with its Pixel Fold range. I do like the most recent Pixel 9 Pro Fold and think it's probably one of the best foldables out there. But there's no question that it still feels more like an exercise in keeping pace with the competition rather than a genuine attempt to innovate.Apple's deep developer relationships will hopefully play right into its hands here, with productivity, entertainment and gaming app producers likely poised and ready to create killer apps that show why foldable phones truly are the next step in our phone's evolution.Stand out from the crowdEven on the hardware side of things we're already seeing duplication in designs and form factors. Motorola's new Razr Plus is essentially the same as Samsung's Z Flip 6 and there's little to choose between the OnePlus Open, Google Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 6 beyond a few minor touches. Most of the foldables we've seen so far tend to look alike. John Kim/CNETApple needs to avoid a folding iPhone that just looks like a clone of existing Android foldables. It needs to stand out and reinforce why Apple is the champion when it comes to product engineering. Let's not forget that Apple didn't invent the mobile phone, but its top-class designers and engineers created a product with the first iPhone that completely revolutionized what a phone could be.Apple has time on its side here; by being late to the party and not rushing in with a "me too!" product, it's been able to see the progression of foldables from Samsung's first Z Fold, through to the more advanced models we have today. It's given the company an opportunity to bide its time and learn from others' mistakes and hopefully put that same spark that made the original iPhone so transformative into its first foldable.Don't skimp on the specs -- and then doA folding iPhone, if we ever get one, should be the showcase for what Apple can achieve with a phone. It needs to not just be cutting edge in terms of its design but also be packed with the latest, greatest tech the company has to offer elsewhere. That means it needs to be able to keep pace with the Pro models, not be a cut-down version that just happens to fold. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a nice bit of kit, but its hardware doesn't compete with Samsung's regular phones. Andrew Lanxon/CNETWe've seen this with many other foldables, including Samsung, which typically packs its folding phones -- especially the Z Flip line -- with lesser specs than you'd get from its top-end non-folding models. The result is that you're forced to pay top dollar for the bendable phone but still end up with lower performance than your friend who has a much cheaper phone than you.It's especially true with the cameras, with even Samsung's most expensive Z Fold 6 packing a camera setup that doesn't compete with the S24 Ultra. So you're left having to decide between the best camera performance or the best folding tech. Either way, you're having to make a compromise and that's not okay when you're spending well into four figures for the privilege.An Apple foldable needs to pack the same triple camera setup from the Pro line, along with ProRaw imaging and ProRes video capture. It needs to have the latest processor capable of handling anything you'll throw at it and it needs to be able to run Apple's new AI skills (Apple Intelligence) at least as well as any other phone the company makes. Until we get a real folding iPhone, we'll have to make do with my awful Photoshopped version. Andrew Lanxon/CNETSuch a device will cost a fortune, so Apple also needs a more affordable option that's aimed more towards those who simply want the fun of the hinge without all the bells and whistles. Why? Because it needs mass market appeal to get developers on board. A hyper-expensive elite iPhone Fold will have too few adopters early on, and so why would developers waste time dreaming up and producing apps for so few potential customers? On the other hand, just going for the cheap and fun model will make it seem like a toy. A gimmick that gets some headlines but isn't really for serious users.To truly dominate the market with developers on board, Apple will need to tackle both sides of the value equation.

Instead of completely eliminating sugar from your life, you should pay more attention to the types and amounts of sugar you consume. After all, our bodies need sugar to make energy, which we need to get through the day. The recommended amount of sugar for women and kids is six teaspoons or 100 calories daily. Men, on the other hand, should have no more than nine teaspoons or 150 calories daily. As for the type of sugar, natural sugars that are unrefined or lightly processed are best. To help you find an option that's the right fit for your tastes, we've listed natural sugar alternatives below. What are sugar substitutes or alternatives? Upgrade your inbox Get cnet insider From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated. Before we get into sugar substitutes, it's important to clarify that sugar isn't inherently bad for you. It's vital for your health. Your body turns carbohydrates into glucose, a form of sugar, which is a primary energy source to keep your body moving and your brain functioning. Despite what some popular diet fads advocate, without carbs and sugars you may experience health problems and symptoms such as low energy, sleep problems and brain fog.The goal shouldn't be to avoid sugar but to consume the right kinds of sugar. Much of today's American diet consists of added sugars, which are processed and refined to add intense sweetness without much substance. Ultrarefined white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are common ingredients in sodas, pastries, bread and condiments. These get delivered quickly to your bloodstream without adding other nutritional value. Excessive consumption of these sugarscan lead to serious health complications, including high blood pressure, diabetes and fatty liver disease. You can find the amount of added sugars on the nutrition facts label and ingredients list of any food item. The higher the added sugar is on the ingredients list, the more sugar is in the product. Added sugars go by many names, such as brown sugar, corn sweeteners, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, maltose and sucrose.In contrast, natural sugars are unrefined or only lightly processed and found naturally in many foods. Fruits, for example, contain fructose, but they're also high in fiber, providing a balanced combination of nutrients for your body. Honey and maple syrup are naturally sweet but rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.There are also various natural sweeteners and sugar substitutes that you can add to food and beverages that provide sweetness without the downsides of refined sugars. Examples of these alternative sugars include sugar alcohols like sorbitol, artificial sweeteners like aspartame and natural sweeteners like stevia.The 6 best natural sugar substitutes Getty ImagesHere's the good news: If you want to cut back on sugar, you still have plenty of options for keeping things sweet. Below are six of the best natural sugar substitutes you can add to your diet in place of refined sugars.HoneyHoney has long been appreciated not only for its natural sweetness but also for its nutritional value. Bees make it from plant nectar in the process of pollination and it contains an array of beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants.Raw and darker honey, which are minimally processed, are rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids, in particular. These offer many benefits, including positive effects on cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and respiratory health. It's even been shown to reduce seasonal allergies.Maple syrupAnother popular natural sweetener, maple syrup, has claimed its place atop many pancakes. If you're cutting back on sugar, you may want to skip the pancakes but hang on to the syrup, which is produced from the sap of sugar maple trees.That's because maple syrup, like honey, contains antioxidants and minerals that can be beneficial for your health. Many of the unique compounds found in maple syrup have been shown to help combat cancer and diabetes. The darker the maple syrup, the less refined it is, and the more of these benefits it may provide.SteviaIf you're not a fan of the flavor of maple syrup or honey but still want a way to sweeten up beverages and recipes, stevia is a great natural sugar alternative to try. This sweetener is made from the Stevia plant, and it's 200 to 400 times sweeter than table sugar.As a sugar substitute, stevia is non-nutritive, meaning it contains almost no calories. It adds sweetness without much else, and that may be just what you're looking for when cutting back on sugar. Stevia has also been correlated with reduced blood sugar and cholesterol. Keep in mind that many stevia products on the market contain other processed ingredients or sugar alcohols, so it's important to do your research before using them.Pureed fruits annick vanderschelden photography/Getty ImagesIf you're looking for a more nutritionally balanced form of sugar, it's tough to beat raw fruits. The dietary fiber present in raw fruits aids in digestion and slows down sugar metabolism, reducing blood sugar spikes you might see from fruit juice or sugar additives. Eating fiber-rich foods can also help you reduce your total caloric intake and lower your risk of heart disease.Pureed fruits give you many of the same benefits, and they can serve as sweeteners to add to other foods. Applesauce works as an egg substitute in many recipes, for instance, and pureed berries make a great addition to plain, unsweetened yogurt.Monk fruitMonk fruit is another plant-based alternative sugar. This one is extracted from monk fruit, also known as luo han guo, a small round fruit that's commonly found in Southeast Asia. Although monk fruit itself contains fructose and glucose, these are actually removed in the extraction process, creating a non-nutritive sweetener that's around 100 times sweeter than table sugar.Monk fruit is relatively new to the market, so it needs further study to determine all its potential health benefits. Research on other non-nutritive sweeteners shows promising results in terms of weight management and fending off diabetes. The naturally sweet mogrosides in monk fruit also contain antioxidants, which can help with immune health and cancer prevention.Fruit juiceFruit juice is a natural sweetener that you can drink on its own or add to other beverages or condiments or even use in cooking. 100% fruit juice is a much better option than refined table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup because fruit juice is natural and unprocessed. It also contains loads of vitamins and nutrients.

GTA 5 Trevor actor wants to return for a very specific GTA 6 cameo"Pass the torch, stomp Trevor's head in."Image credit: Rockstar / Eurogamer News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Jan. 28, 2025 Steve Ogg, the actor behind GTA 5's breakout main character Trevor, has said he wants to return in Rockstar's upcoming GTA 6 in order to die at the very beginning. Speaking to ScreenRant, Ogg said he believed the idea would make for a neat moment where he passed the torch to GTA 6's new protagonists - even if it meant getting his head kicked in."It would be fun if Trevor appeared in it just to be killed at the beginning. I think that would be cool," Ogg said.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Xbox Developer Direct - four promising games also coming to PlayStation.Watch on YouTube"Because it also acknowledges the fans... like 'Hey, thank you. Pass the torch, stomp Trevor's head in, and sort of put an end to that and allow a new generation to take over'."The moment would mirror an early moment with Trevor in GTA 5, where the character quickly offs GTA 4 character Johnny Kleibitz.Alas, with less than a year until the game's debut, Ogg has said he's not yet been asked to return.In the 12 years since GTA 5's release, Ogg's career has taken off, with roles in The Walking Dead, Westworld and Better Call Saul. Rockstar, meanwhile, has spent the last decade expanding GTA Online with new content, and building the hotly-anticipated GTA 6 - which is currently due to launch (sans Trevor) later in 2025.Last week, speculation swirled that Rockstar might choose to make GTA 6 cost 80, or $100, ushering in a new industry-wide raise in game prices. Meanwhile, a GTA 6 "parody" game looks set to launch soon on Steam, despite being kicked off the PlayStation Store.

Ambitious Fallout: Nuevo Mexico mod cancelled to prioritise developer's mental health and "face reality""Continuing forward simply isn't sustainable."Image credit: Fallout: Nuevo Mexico News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on Jan. 28, 2025 The modder behind Fallout: Nuevo Mexico has cancelled the project to prioritise their mental health and "face reality".Following in the footsteps of Fallout: London, Fallout: Nuevo Mexico was intended to be a rework of Fallout: New Vegas into an all-new game set in Mexico City.However, a statement from modder Zapshock on the mod's Discord server (thanks TheGamer) confirmed the project has been cancelled. "This project has been my passion, my obsession, and a huge part of my life for years," wrote Zapshock. "I've poured thousands of hours into it, late nights, early mornings, and everything in between."Fallout: Mxico - Redux Official Reveal Trailer | (Spanish Version)Watch on YouTubeThey continued: "But as much as I love this project, I need to prioritise my mental health and face reality. The team is small (less than four), the workload enormous, and the costs ahead, both financial and personal, are too great. Continuing forward simply isn't sustainable for me and everyone involved, including voice actors."Zapshock described the decision as "painful" but "necessary" and thanked the community for supporting the project until now. Image credit: ZapshockA trailer for the ambitious project was released last October (above), which revealed the scope of this new wasteland. The ruined Mexico City would have formed a battleground for multiple factions and would include areas like "the decaying colonia of Chapultepec" and "the submerged canals of Xochimilco".Comparisons were quickly made with Fallout: London, a similarly-sized mod released for free on GOG last year. It became the "fastest-redeemed" game on the platform.That project, though, wasn't without its problems, launching as it did in a shaky condition with performance issues.Could Bethesda itself ever release a Fallout game outside of America? Not according to Todd Howard."Part of the Fallout schtick is on the Americana navet," he said in an interview last year after the success of the Fallout TV show. "For us right now it's ok to acknowledge some of those other areas but our plans are to predominantly keep it in the US."

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereThere are a lot of balance changes fans can anticipate for Destiny 2 Episode Heresy in February. Bungie has confirmed more buffs not mentioned in the newest TWID, and they have also announced a nerf for a popular but OP weapon archetype. While most of the balance changes look good on paper, Destiny 2 players are once again begging Bungie to revert a nerf that feels like s*** from last year.Destiny 2 players plead with Bungie to revert Osteo Striga nerfDestiny 2 fans are again urging Bungie to revert nerfs for the Osteo Striga. This comes via a new post shared on Reddit by ERI-223 that simply begs the developer to remove the poison activation cd.This seems to be in relation to the nerf that happened with The Final shape. For The Final Shape, Bungie implemented a nerf that resulted in the weapon acquiring a 4-second cooldown for the poison burst on kills, although this cooldown doesnt apply to poison burst sustained from damage.Back in June of last year, there were complaints that the nerf was too aggressive, and that the weapon now feels terrible. There were calls for Bungie to revert the nerf during The Final Shape, and similar calls have carried all the way over into 2025.Although its been nerfed for several months now, a lot of fans are still not happy. One user remarked that, following the nerf, the gun really went from my favorite to deleted.Another user argues that it feels like s*** to use now, and that the nerf wasnt deserved because Khostov was much better than the Osteo at the point of Final Shapes release.Another user has bemoaned Bungie for always [being] super overhanded with cooldown limitations [such as] stasis fragment of impetus (or facet of command?) going to 12s, then buffed back to 5s.The user also said Osteo was great- but not end-all meta and 4 seconds [cooldown] is ridiculous for an over-time effect which basically completely removed it from anything but a fun gun.Unfortunately, despite the loud cries for Bungie to revert the nerf, its highly unlikely to happen as its been several months. Its also not listed amongst any of the mega buffs announced for Episode Heresy.For more Destiny 2, check out the 2025 roadmap along with the new Episode Heresy weapons.Destiny 2Platform(s):Google Stadia, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Web, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Adventure, First Person, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter8VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share