The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has just named five winners for the2024 Mass Timber Student Design Competition. Teams from four universities in the U.S. and Canada were chosen for their ability to reflect on the meaning of tall buildings in modern societies.Each winning design was considered also for its capable use of prefabricated components or volumetric modular approaches in such a way that highlighted the benefits of utilizing mass timber for rapid development. This year's competitionfocused mainly on the use of mass timber in multi-story buildings through the lens of affordable housing that emphasizes rapid development.In their competition brief, CTBUH noted: "Participants should engage with the exploration and resolution of the synergistic relationship between a tall building and its urban setting; how that tall building can be inspired by the cultural, physical, and environmental aspects of its site; how the program of the building is influenced by...

Ptychochromis insolitus, also known as the Mangarahara cichlid, is a species of cichlid, a fish in the family Cichlidae. Endemic to certain river systems in northern Madagascar, it can reach a length of 26 centimetres (10 inches) and features long tooth- or comb-like structures known as cteni on many of its scales. This unusual feature contributed to the decision to use the species name insolitus when the fish was first described as a new species in 2006. It is classified as a critically endangered animal, being threatened by habitat loss and competition from introduced species; after the last known female was killed during a breeding attempt, its conservation received significant international attention as London Zoo launched a media campaign to identify any remaining individuals. A remnant population was discovered in 2013, and breeding programs in Madagascar and at Toronto Zoo have resulted in thousands of successful hatchlings. This P.insolitus fish was photographed in Wilhelma, a botanical garden in Stuttgart, Germany.Photograph credit: H.ZellRecently featured: Paris Peace AccordsShinku LaThe Monarch of the GlenArchiveMore featured pictures

January 28: Chinese New Year's Eve (2025)CharlesVI after the Bal des Ardents1393 King CharlesVI of France (pictured) was nearly killed when several other dancers' costumes caught fire during a masquerade ball in Paris.1568 Delegates of the Three Nations of Transylvania adopted the Edict of Torda, allowing local communities to elect their preachers freely, in an unprecedented act of religious tolerance.1671 Anglo-Spanish War: In pursuit of retreating Spanish troops, English soldiers sacked the city of Panama.1916 The province of Manitoba passed a law that first granted some Canadian women the right to vote.1941 About three hours after Thai bombers raided Sisophon, a ceasefire paused hostilities in the Franco-Thai War.JoanII of Navarre (b.1312)Agnes Sampson (d.1591)Colette (b.1873)Cicely Tyson (d.2021)More anniversaries: January 27January 28January 29ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

World leaders gathered inOswiecim, Poland, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation ofAuschwitz. Bernd von Jutrczenka / picture alliance via Getty ImagesBetween 1940 and 1945, Nazi troops murdered an estimated1.1 million people at Auschwitz in southern Poland. The majority of the victims were Jews, though tens of thousands of Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and victims of other nationalities also perished.The killing at Auschwitz stopped onJanuary 27, 1945, the day the Red Army liberated the concentration camp. When Soviet soldiers arrived, they found roughly 7,000 emaciated prisoners, piles of human corpses, gas chambers, crematories and other evidence of the horrors that had taken place there.Auschwitz, a complex of three main camps and more than 40 subcamps, was the site of the largest mass murder in human history. After the war, it became an enduring symbol of the Holocaust.On Monday, Auschwitz survivors and world leaders gathered to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the camps liberation. They met in the Polish town of Oswiecim at the site of the former death camp, which is now amuseum and memorial.Auschwitz survivors commemorate 80th anniversary of its liberation - watch liveWatch on Britains Charles III, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Polands President Andrzej Duda and French President Emmanuel Macron attended the ceremony, as did Germanys President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The United States alsosent a delegation, per theNew York Times Andrew Higgins.Auschwitz survivors also participated in the commemoration. Many are now in their 90s, and experts expect this to be one of the last times they convene.In five years, there will be very few left, Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress and chairman of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation, tells the Times. And those who are still alive wont have the energy to go.The number of survivors grows smaller each year. Some 200 attended the 75th anniversary of Auschwitzs liberation in 2020. This year, only 56 survivors made it, reports theAssociated Press Vanessa Gera. Auschwitz survivors placed candles in front of the camp's Wall of Death. Sean Gallup / Getty ImagesReturning to Auschwitz doesnt do any good for your heart, for your mind, for anything, said Jona Laks, 94, who was brought to the camp when she was about 12 years old, toCNNs Sophie Tanno and Lauren Kent.But its necessary, Laks added. Its necessary for the world to know.Attendees placed candles in front of the campsWall of Death before gathering under a large tent erected for the occasion. They sat facing an empty train car the Nazis had used to transport victims to Auschwitz.The ceremony included music byJames Simon, a German-Jewish composer who was murdered at the camp, as well asJzef Kropiski, a Polish musician who was sent to Auschwitz but ultimately survived. Many attendees wore blue and white scarves, a nod to the clothes worn by the prisoners in the camp, as BBC News Jamie Whitehead, Matt Spivey and Paul Kirby report. Most of the speakers were survivors.The world has become toxic, Tova Friedman, who was brought to Auschwitz when she was 5 years old, told the AP before the ceremony. I realize that were in a crisis again, that there is so much hatred around, so much distrust, that if we dont stop, it may get worse and worse. There may be another terrible destruction.Leon Weintraub, a 99-year-old Auschwitz survivor, also warned against the enemies of democracy. During the ceremony, he encouraged young people to be sensitive to all expressions of intolerance and resentment towards those who are different, as reported by the Guardians Jakub Krupa.Also on Monday, the former home of Auschwitzs Nazi leader,Rudolf Hss, opened to the public. The house, which was featured in the filmThe Zone of Interest, is adjacent to the former death camp. It was purchased by the Counter Extremism Project, an international organization that aims to fight extremism and antisemitism.This house has been closed off for 80 years to humanity, said Mark Wallace, the groups CEO and the former American ambassador to the United Nations, to the LondonTimes Magnus Linklater. Remember the poor souls who were marched to Gas Chamber No. 1 and Crematory No. 1, a football pitch away. They always saw this ordinary house, a paradise to its occupants, but always beyond their reach.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: genocide, Germany, Holocaust, Nazis, Poland, Religion, World War II

Researchers are investigating oyster "blood" as a potential new treatment for antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Southern Cross UniversityThe world is facing a superbug crisis, with experts predicting that some 39 million people could die from antimicrobial-resistant infections between now and 2050. Some illness-causing bacteria, fungi and other pathogens are evolving to evade medications like antibiotics and antivirals, making them increasingly difficult for doctors to treat.Now, researchers have discovered a promising potential solution to this problem: oysters.In laboratory tests, an antimicrobial protein found in the Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) made antibiotics more effective and killed several types of illness-causing bacteria. Researchers reported these findings last week in the journal PLOS One.Scientists found the protein in the oysters hemolymph, a liquid found in invertebrates thats similar to blood. They extracted the protein, then ran a series of laboratory experiments to see how it matched up against bacteria that are not only responsible for many respiratory infections but are also becoming more resistant to treatment with conventional antibiotics. Scientists studied the Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata), which is commercially available. Southern Cross UniversityOn its own, the protein killed Streptococcus pneumoniae (a bacterium responsible for pneumonia) and Streptococcus pyogenes (which causes strep throat and scarlet fever).And, when paired up with antibiotics, the protein also helped improve their effectiveness against other infection-causing bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus (which leads to staph infections)Pseudomonas aeruginosa (which is particularly problematic for people with compromised immune systems).It actually made the antibiotics work better, says study co-author Kirsten Benkendorff, a marine scientist at Southern Cross University, to the Australian Broadcasting Corporations Claire Simmonds. The oyster protein, used alongside antibiotics, made them 2 to 32 times more effective, per the paper.As pathogens become more resistant to existing antibiotics, researchers are hard at work trying to develop new ones. But, in the meantime, anything that can prolong the lifespan of a current antibiotic would be quite a sustainable solution to make what we have work for longer, says Sohinee Sarkar, an infectious disease researcher at Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Australia who was not involved with the work, to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.In addition, testing revealed that the protein was not toxic to human lung cells, which bolsters the idea that it could one day be a viable treatment option for respiratory infections.Scientists believe the protein works by disrupting the biofilms that bacteria often form within the body. Biofilms are groups of microorganisms that stick to one another and, often, to surfaces. These communities also typically encase themselves in a protective layer of secretions, which makes it more difficult for the bodys immune systemand antibioticsto fight back.The oyster-derived proteins seemed to prevent biofilms from forming in the first place, and they were also able to penetrate biofilms that had already formed.We often think about bacteria just floating around in the blood, Benkendorff tells the Guardians Donna Lu. But in reality, a lot of them actually adhere to surfaces. The advantage of having something that disrupts the biofilm is its stopping all of those bacteria from attaching to the surfaces. Its releasing them back out into the blood, where then they can be attacked by antibiotics. So far, the protein has only been tested in the laboratorynot in humans or animals. Kirsten BenkendorffIt makes sense that oysters would be good at battling bacteria. As filter feeders, they are constantly slurping up water, eating food particles and expelling any unwanted materials.Oysters are exposed to high concentrations of diverse microorganisms in their natural marine environment, write Benkendorff and co-author Kate Summer, also a researcher at Southern Cross University, for the Conversation. Because of this, they have evolved strong immune defenses. For example, they rely heavily on antimicrobial proteins and strings of molecules known as peptides in their hemolymph (blood) to protect them from infection.The bivalves have also long been used to help boost human health, including among the Indigenous people of Australia and in traditional Chinese medicine, the researchers point out.But that doesnt necessarily mean doctors should start prescribing a steady diet of oysters to their sick patients. So far, the protein has only been tested in a labnot in trials with humans or animals. In addition, scientists say they need to conduct more research to learn more about how the protein works and how best to turn it into medicine. Its also unclear whether the protein would be as effective if consumed.Still, slurping down a few oysters now and again doesnt hurtand this briny snack may even help your body naturally fend off invaders for other reasons, the researchers say.Oysters contain zinc, which boosts the immune system, and they have really good polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamins that also help modulate immunity, says Benkendorff in a statement.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Doctors, Food, Health, Innovations, Medicine, Microbes, Bacteria, Viruses, New Research, Oceans, Prescription Drugs, Viruses, Water

Phoenix Labs, the maker of Dauntless and Fae Farm, has laid off a majority of its staff two years after it was quietly acquired by blockchain gaming firm Forte.Read More

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn MoreThe release of the DeepSeek R1 reasoning model has caused shockwaves across the tech industry, with the most obvious sign being the sudden sell-off of major AI stocks. The advantage of well-funded AI labs such as OpenAI and Anthropic no longer seems very solid, as DeepSeek has reportedly been able to develop their o1 competitor at a fraction of the cost.While some AI labs are currently in crisis mode, as far as the enterprise sector is concerned, its mostly good news.Cheaper applications, more applicationsAs we had said here before, one of the trends worth watching in 2025 is the continued drop in the cost of using AI models. Enterprises should experiment and build prototypes with the latest AI models regardless of the price, knowing that the continued price reduction will enable them to eventually deploy their applications at scale.That trendline just saw a huge step change. OpenAI o1 costs $60 per million output tokens versus $2.19 per million for DeepSeek R1. And, if youre concerned about sending your data to Chinese servers, you can access R1 on U.S.-based providers such as Together.ai and Fireworks AI, where it is priced at $8 and $9 per million tokens, respectively still a huge bargain in comparison to o1.To be fair, o1 still has the edge over R1, but not so much as to justify such a huge price difference. Moreover, the capabilities of R1 will be sufficient for most enterprise applications. And, we can expect more advanced and capable models to be released in the coming months.We can also expect second-order effects on the overall AI market. For instance, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that free ChatGPT users will soon have access to o3-mini. Although he did not explicitly mention R1 as the reason, the fact that the announcement was made shortly after R1 was released is telling.More innovationR1 still leaves a lot of questions unanswered for example, there are multiple reports that DeepSeek trained the model on outputs from OpenAI large language models (LLMs). But if its paper and technical report are correct, DeepSeek was able to create a model that nearly matches the state-of-the-art while slashing costs and removing some of the technical steps that require a lot of manual labor.If others can reproduce DeepSeeks results, it can be good news for AI labs and companies that were sidelined by the financial barriers to innovation in the field. Enterprises can expect faster innovation and more AI products to power their applications.What will happen to the billions of dollars that big tech companies have spent on acquiring hardware accelerators? We still havent reached the ceiling of what is possible with AI, so leading tech companies will be able to do more with their resources. More affordable AI will, in fact, increase demand in the medium to long term.But more importantly, R1 is proof that not everything is tied to bigger compute clusters and datasets. With the right engineering chops and good talent, you will be able to push the limits of what is possible.Open source for the winTo be clear, R1 is not fully open source, as DeepSeek has only released the weights, but not the code or full details of the training data. Nonetheless, it is a big win for the open source community. Since the release of DeepSeek R1, more than 500 derivatives have been published on Hugging Face, and the model has been downloaded millions of times.It will also give enterprises more flexibility over where to run their models. Aside from the full 671-billion-parameter model, there are distilled versions of R1, ranging from 1.5 billion to 70 billion parameters, enabling companies to run the model on a variety of hardware. Moreover, unlike o1, R1 reveals its full thought chain, giving developers a better understanding of the models behavior and the ability to steer it in the desired direction.With open source catching up to closed models, we can hope for a renewal of the commitment to share knowledge and research so that everyone can benefit from advances in AI.Daily insights on business use cases with VB DailyIf you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI.Read our Privacy PolicyThanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here.An error occured.

Polish developer People Can Fly has been enlisted to help The Coalition on Gears of War: E-Day.The studio previously developed Gears of War: Judgement and assisted with the first three Gears games. In the announcement, CEO Sebastian Wojciechowski called it "a privilege and an exciting opportunity" to return to the franchise. "We are deeply grateful for our partners trust and support on this journey."Mike Crump, studio head for The Coalition, similarly called it a pleasure to "partner with the talented folks at People Can Fly who have been a part of our franchises legacy for so long."This provides some stability to People Can Fly, which had a tumultuous 2024. After laying off 30 employees in January and scrapping one of its unannounced projects in April, it ended the year pausing development on a separate project and cutting another 120 workers.In June 2023, People Can Fly announced it'd entered a work-for-hire deal with Microsoft based on one of its properties. At the time, it said Microsoft would be funding the then-unknown project, which was said to be budgeted between $30 million and $50 million.It takes two (or more) to develop a gameThe Coalition has previously juggled co-developer duties with its own projects. Many of these collaborations have been Gears-related: it helped Splash Damage on 2020's strategy spinoff Gears Tactics and Mediatonic on Gears Pop! for mobile platforms.Outside of the Gears series, it previously teamed up with 343 Industries (now Halo Studios) on Halo Infinite, and with Epic Games on The Matrix Awakens. Gears of War: E-Day is the first game Coalition has led development on since Gears 5 back in 2019.The upcoming Gears prequel isn't the only major Xbox game with a high-profile co-development partnership: Crystal Dynamics has been helping The Initiative on the upcoming Perfect Dark reboot, and Eidos Montreal is supporting the development of Playground Games' Fable. Certain Affinity, while not a first-party Microsoft studio, also has a long history of helping on the Halo games.For People Can Fly, co-developing E-Day gives it another reprieve. In 2014, co-founder Adrian Chmielarz revealed the team helping with the PC port for the first Gears "saved the studio," and led to it taking the reigns on Judgement.

Following years of litigation, a federal court has finally ruled it unconstitutional for the FBI to search communications of US citizens collected under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). In a ruling unsealed last week, US District Court Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall decided that these backdoor searches violate the Fourth Amendment.As noted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, FISA allows federal intelligence agencies to collect swaths of foreign communications in the name of national security. Even though some of those communications might involve US residents, the government has argued that requiring warrants would hinder the FBIs ability to obtain and act upon threat intelligence. In 2023, the FBI conducted more than 57,000 US person data searches, marking a 52 percent decrease from 2022.This particular decision stems from a case involving Agron Hasbajrami, a permanent US resident who was arrested in 2011 over accusations that he planned to join a terrorist organization in Pakistan. However, the government failed to disclose that part of its case rested on emails it obtained without a warrant through Section 702 of FISA.An appeals court in 2020 ruled that these types of searches might be unconstitutional, but now its official. Judge DeArcy Hall found the FBIs warrantless search of US data unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment:While communications of U.S. persons may nonetheless be intercepted, incidentally or inadvertently, it would be paradoxical to permit warrantless searches of the same information that Section 702 is specifically designed to avoid collecting. To countenance this practice would convert Section 702 into precisely what Defendant has labeled it a tool for law enforcement to run backdoor searches that circumvent the Fourth Amendment.Congress reauthorized Section 702 of FISA last year, and its set to expire again in 2026. The EFF is asking lawmakers to create a legislative warrant requirement so that the intelligence community does not continue to trample on the constitutionally protected rights to private communications.

Sony is upping the limited warranty on some InZone gaming monitors to three years and is tossing in OLED burn-in coverage for the 27-inch M10S. The company announced the additional coverage today after launching both the InZone M10S OLED and M9 II LED in September with only one-year limited warranties out of the box. Sony says other than that, the limited warranties remain as they were.Manufacturers have long been averse to talking about burn-in or have outright categorized the phenomenon as normal use, denying warranty claims to fix it on various panel types. However, OLEDs have historically been more susceptible to burn-in, especially when used with many static images like those from a PC. In recent years, OLED has improved to be less sensitive to burn-ins.Sony is the latest in a trend of manufacturers adding burn-in coverage. Alienware was one of the first to specifically include OLED burn-in within its three-year coverage on the QD-OLED monitor launched in 2022, and for its latest 27-inch 4K model coming this year. And in 2023, The Verges Sean Hollister asked LG to explicitly warrant the companys OLED monitors against burn-in and they agreed and changed their verbiage.A Samsung representative on this Best Buy product listing says the three-year warranty on the 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8 covers burn-in. Screenshot: The VergeSince then, companies like MSI and Asus have also pledged to cover OLED burn-in on some models, including their latest ones (in some countries). Its important to research the warranty included in the model youre buying to determine whether burn-in coverage is included. For instance, Samsungs website shows a general policy for its warranty that excludes burn-ins, however, an online rep confirmed it does cover it on a 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8. However, the company still hasnt clarified if burn-ins are covered for its latest 27-inch Odyssey OLED G8 gaming monitor.