Svelte occupies a curious space within the web development world. Its been around in one form or another for eight years now, and despite being used by the likes of Apple, Spotify, IKEA, and the New York Times, it still feels like something of an upstart, maybe even a black sheep. As creator Rich Harris recently put it,If React is Taylor Swift, were more of a Phoebe Bridges. Shes critically acclaimed, and youve heard of her, but you probably cant name that many of her songs. Rich HarrisThis may be why the release of Svelte 5 in October this year felt like such a big deal. It tries to square the circle of convention and innovation. Can it remain one of the best-loved frameworks on the web while shaking off suspicions that it cant quite rub shoulders with React, Vue, and others when it comes to scalability? Whisper it, but they might just have pulled it off. The post-launch reaction has been largely glowing, with weekly npm downloads doubling compared to six months ago. Still, Im not in the predictions game. The coming months and years will be the ultimate measure of Svelte 5. And why speculate on the most pressing questions when I can just ask Rich Harris myself? He kindly took some time to chat with me about Svelte and the future of web development.Not Magic, But MagicalSvelte 5 is a ground-up rewrite. I dont want to get into the weeds here key changes are covered nicely in the migration guide but suffice it to say the big one where day-to-day users are concerned is runes. At times, magic feeling $ has given way to the more explicit $state, $derived, and $effect.A lot of the talk around Svelte 5 included the sentiment that it marks the maturation of the framework. To Harris and the Svelte team, it feels like a culmination, with lessons learned combined with aspirations to form something fresh yet familiar. This does sort of feel like a new chapter. Im trying to build something that you dont feel like you need to get a degree in it before you can be productive in it. And that seems to have been carried through with Svelte 5. Rich HarrisAlthough raw usage numbers arent everything, seeing the uptick in installations has been a welcome signal for Harris and the Svelte team.For us, success is definitely not based around adoption, though seeing the number go up and to the right gives us reassurance that were doing the right thing and were on the right track. Even if its not the goal, it is a useful indication. But success is really people building their apps with this framework and building higher quality, more resilient, more accessible apps. Rich HarrisThe tenets of a Svelte philosophy outlined by Harris earlier this year reinforce the point:The web matters.Optimise for vibes.Dont optimise for adoption.HTML, The Mother Language.Embrace progress.Numbers lie.Magical, not magic.Dream big.No one cares.Design by consensus.Click the link above to hear these expounded upon, but you get the crux. Svelte is very much a qualitative project. Although Svelte performs well in a fair few performance metrics itself, Harris has long been a critic of metrics like Lighthouse being treated as ends in themselves. Fastest doesnt necessarily mean best. At the end of the day, we are all in the business of making quality websites.Frameworks are a means to that end, and Harris sees plenty of work to be done there. Software Is BrokenEvery milestone is a cause for celebration. Its also a natural pause in which to ask, Now what? For the Svelte team, the sights seem firmly set on shoring up the quality of the web. A conclusion that we reached over the course of a recent discussion is that most software in the world is kind of terrible. Things are not good. Half the stuff on my phone just doesnt work. It fails at basic tasks. And the same is true for a lot of websites. The number of times Ive had to open DevTools to remove the disabled attribute from a button so that I can submit a form, or been unclear on whether a payment went through or not. Rich HarrisThis certainly meshes with my experience and, doubtless, countless others. Between enshittification, manipulative algorithms, and the seemingly endless influx of AI-generated slop, its hard to shake the feeling that the web is becoming increasingly decadent and depraved. So many pieces of software that we use are just terrible. Theyre just bad software. And its not because software engineers are idiots. Our main priority as toolmakers should be to enable people to build software that isnt broken. As a baseline, people should be able to build software that works. Rich HarrisThis sense of responsibility for the creation and maintenance of good software speaks to the Svelte teams holistic outlook and also looks to influence priorities going forward.Brave New WorldPart of Svelte 5 feels like a new chapter in the sense of fresh foundations. Anyone whos worked in software development or web design will tell you how much of a headache ground-up rewrites are. Rebuilding the foundations is something to celebrate when you pull it off, but it also begs the question: What are the foundations for?Harris has his eyes on the wider ecosystem around frameworks.I dont think theres a lot more to do to solve the problem of taking some changing application state and turning it into DOM, but I think theres a huge amount to be done around the ancillary problems. How do we load the data that we put in those components? Where does that data live? How do we deploy our applications? Rich HarrisIn the short to medium term, this will likely translate into some love for SvelteKit, the web application framework built around Svelte. The framework might start having opinions about authentication and databases, an official component library perhaps, and dev tools in the spirit of the Astro dev toolbar. And all these could be precursors to even bigger explorations.I want there to be a Rails or a Laravel for JavaScript. In fact, I want there to be multiple such things. And I think that at least part of Sveltes long-term goal is to be part of that. There are too many things that you need to learn in order to build a full stack application today using JavaScript. Rich HarrisWhy Dont We Have A Laravel For JavaScript? by Theo BrowneWhy We Dont Have a Laravel For JavaScript... Yet by Vince CangerOnwardAlthough Svelte has been ticking along happily for years, the release of version 5 has felt like a new lease of life for the ecosystem around it. Every day brings new and exciting projects to the front page of the /r/sveltejs subreddit, while this years Advent of Svelte has kept up a sense of momentum following the stable release.Below are just a handful of the Svelte-based projects that have caught my eye:webvm: Virtual Machine for the Web number-flow: An animated number component for React, Vue, and Sveltesveltednd: A lightweight, flexible drag and drop library for Svelte 5 applicationsThrelte 8 Despite the turbulence and inescapable sense of existential dread surrounding much tech, this feels like an exciting time for web development. The conditions are ripe for lovely new things to emerge.And as for Svelte 5 itself, what does Rich Harris say to those who might be on the fence?I would say you have nothing to lose but an afternoon if you try it. We have a tutorial that will take you from knowing nothing about Svelte or even existing frameworks. You can go from that to being able to build applications using Svelte in three or four hours. If you just want to learn Svelte basics, then thats an hour. Try it. Rich HarrisFurther Reading On SmashingMagHow To Build Server-Side Rendered (SSR) Svelte Apps With SvelteKit, Sriram ThiagarajanWeb Development Is Getting Too Complex, And It May Be Our Fault, Juan Diego RodrguezVanilla JavaScript, Libraries, And The Quest For Stateful DOM Rendering, Frederik DohrThe Hype Around Signals, Atila Fassina

Perched along the tranquil Solway Coast in Dumfries and Galloway, Tidal House is a contemporary retreat envisioned by Brown & Brown Architects for a retired couple transitioning from city life in Edinburgh. The clients longed for a peaceful escape amidst the rugged waterfront beauty of the Scottish landscape. On its northern side, the smoked clay brick facade offers a sturdy, grounded presence that reflects the charm of the nearby village. In contrast, the southern wood cladding embraces the fluidity of the coastal environment, designed to age gracefully with the passage of time. At the heart of the design lies a captivating three-sided courtyard, anchored by a vibrant acer Fireglow tree, which acts as both a visual and functional divider between the main living spaces and an artists studio.This courtyard approach not only enhances privacy but also fosters a sense of intimacy and connection with the outdoors. The careful placement of expansive windows invites the surrounding natural beauty inside, creating a constant interplay between the built environment and its surroundings. We wanted a warm, welcoming home, and feel this is beautifully delivered. Were pinching ourselves still as the whole thing is so incredible, the clients say.The home is a sanctuary where artistic inspiration and relaxation coexist. The artists studio, with its strategically positioned glass corner overlooking the River Urr estuary, encapsulates this dual purpose. This intimate nook serves as a place for reflection and creativity, offering an ever-changing view of tidal waters and distant horizons.Thoughtful design choices, such as large windows for natural solar gain and strategically placed openings for cross-ventilation, ensure energy efficiency without compromising comfort. The masonry wall on the north side acts as a thermal store, while the southern glazing benefits from an overhang that provides seasonal shading. These features embody Brown & Browns philosophy of slow work, emphasizing meticulous planning, timeless craftsmanship, and environmental responsibility.Inside, wood flooring and tile coexist alongside textured woods and a rich color palette for a warm, inviting atmosphere, even on gloomier days. The public spaces aim to be more light and airy, while the private areas are designed with a darker feeling to encourage relaxation. Both custom furniture, made by the owners, and family heirlooms round out the interior to make it more personal.For more on the Tidal House and Brown & Brown Architects, visit brownandbrown.studio.Photography by Jim Stephenson and Mart Goosens.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Whether you're worried about hurricanes, fires, or winter storms, a little bit of preparation can go a long way to making your home more resilient to extreme weather. Taking the time to plan ahead will make it safer and more comfortable to hunker down if an emergency occurs. Here are some home updates you can do yourself to keep yourself and your home safe. Check drainage and gradingWhen there is a deluge of rainwater or water from melting ice or snow, it can test the strength of the water barriers on your foundation and siding. One way to give your home a fighting chance in a wet environment is to ensure that you have proper drainage around your home. To check out your drainage, take a look at the grading near your house. The ground should slope gently away from any structure at a ratio of about one inch per foot of distance for about the first 10 feet away from your foundation. To measure the grade, you can use two stakes, some masons line, and a line level. Drive in one stake next to your foundation and another about 10 feet away, and tie the string to the stakes at an equal distance from the ground at each end, making sure it is stretched taut. You should mark on the stake farther from your foundation where the line is tied off and then place your line level on the string. Slide the string up from its spot until the bubble on the level is centered and then measure the distance you moved it. That measurement will tell you if your slope is at least one inch down for each foot of distance from the house. If you have any spots where ridges have formed that direct water back toward your house, you can shovel away any excess dirt to create a slope away from the foundation.Improve gutters and downspoutsKeeping your gutters and downspouts clear can help to protect your roof from water damage and keep your siding dry. Checking your gutters for sags or valleys where water can escape the planned path and adding gutter hangers where there are areas that need more support will improve the efficiency of your gutters and help protect your roof from moisture. Strengthening the connection between the gutter and the house will also make it more wind-tolerant, decreasing the likelihood that the gutter will separate from the roof in high winds. You can make your downspouts more weather-resistant by adding a hinged downspout extension that can direct water away from your house. The hinge allows you to move the extension out of the way for weeding or mowing.Remove landscaping hazardsTo guard against damage from fires and keep your siding clear and dry, you should cut shrubs and other plants at least one foot away from your structure. Keeping your yard clear of dry brush that could fuel a fire will reduce the likelihood of a brush fire or grass fire damaging your house. Another landscaping option for fire resilience is to use hardscaping like rocks and gravel close to your house and keep plants at a distance of 10 feet or more from the house. This will reduce the available fuel in a fire, making your home less susceptible to damage.Add storm windowsWhile replacing your windows can be expensive, adding storm windows can have a variety of benefits, including making your house more resistant to high temperatures and making your windows safer in a storm with high winds. Storm windows can be installed using a screw gun and some basic hand tools if you have a bit of DIY know-how, and they tend to be much cheaper than replacement windows, averaging between $80 and $185 per window. You can save on heating and cooling costs without replacing your windows, make your windows safer in high winds, and add a layer of protection against objects like falling branches with this DIY update.Install a backup power sourcePower outages can be a part of most types of extreme weather events and natural disasters, so you can improve comfort and safety in an emergency by adding backup power. While whole-house generators tend to be expensive and require professional installation, a portable power station can run many home appliances without the need to call in a pro, and you can find one for around $700. Modern electric power stations have the advantage of not emitting fumes, so they can be run indoors without risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Portable power stations are also often solar compatible, allowing them to be connected to portable solar panels for charging in the event that the power is out for longer than a day or two.

The Leader Key is a popular concept in coding, and it essentially works like a hotkey. In old-school text editor VIM, a leader key is a shortcut starter, a first button to begin a special command. For example, it's similar to how you might enter the "#" key on your TV remote before pressing a code, to enter a hidden menu. Now, The Leader Key Mac app brings the same concept to your entire Mac. You press a predefined shortcut, and then a single key afterward to quickly execute a mapped action. In practice, this means you might press the Globe key and the Right Command key, then S to quickly open the Safari browser. It's similar to the default keyboard shortcuts you're probably already used to, but much more customizable and versatile.Of course, you can do the same thing using many keyboard launchers, like Raycast, or even Spotlight Search. But Leader Key is fast. Lightning fast. In the span of two key presses, your app is open, boom. And it's not just limited to apps. You can use it to open URLs (works with any apps that expose URLs to third-party apps) and trigger commands or scripts. It essentially makes everything on your Mac just a few keystrokes away.The app is free and open source. It takes a bit of time to set things up in a way you like, but it's worth it.How to create custom keyboard shortcuts using Leader KeyOnce Leader Key is installed and enabled, you'll find it in the menu bar. Click on its menu bar icon (it looks like a square with a dot in the middle) and choose the Preferences icon. Here, choose a button combination to be your shortcut starter (or leader key) and enable the app at login.Next, start by creating some actions. Ideally, you'll be using Leader Key to launch a lot of different apps, so assigning the "S" key for both Slack and Safari won't work. This is where Groups can help. First, click on Add Group and assign that group a key. For example, I'll create a group for Browsers and assign it "B". Credit: Khamosh Pathak In your new group, click Add Action. Then, assign that action a key. For example, I'll use "F" to open Firefox. Next, choose Application from the drop-down menu. Then click the Choose button, and from Finder, select the app you want to map and click Open. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Now, repeat this process to add more actions in the group (like adding all the browsers that you switch between), or to create global actions. You can also use it to directly open Folders as well (a quick way to open project folders that you use often).Once you are done customizing, click the Save to File button to save all your customizations. Now, you'll be able to open your assigned apps or folders by quickly pressing your leader key, then your group key, then your action key in succession. If an action isn't assigned to a group, it's even simpler just press your leader key and the action key.Supercharge Leader Key with Raycast Deep LinksAs mentioned above, Leader Key isn't limited to applications. You can assign it to open URLs and commands, linking directly to a part of an app. As long as an app exposes a URL scheme, you can paste it in as an action (make sure to select URL) as the action. This works for many apps, but Raycast makes the process really easy using its Deep Links feature.If you have your Raycast extensions and actions set already, you can copy the deep link for any action with ease.For example, I'm going to create a shortcut to access the Cobalt for Raycast extension for downloading media online.Open Raycast and search for the action or extension you want to assign a shortcut to. Press Command + K to view all actions, and then use the Shift + Command + C keyboard shortcut to copy the Deep Link. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Then, go to Leader Key Preferences, create a new action, and choose URL action from the dropdown. Paste in the Deep Link URL. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Now, you can access that particular action inside Raycast with just a single key press.

Ooni, the Scottish company known for its innovative outdoor pizza ovens, is expanding into a new product category without sacrificing the brands pizza theme. The Halo Pro is a $799 mixer that tries to do the same for pizza dough as the company did for pizza ovens: bring restaurant-quality baking to the home kitchen.The Ooni Halo Pro uses spiral mixing technology, which is better for dough (including thicker ones, like for pizza). Their gentle, more efficient approach minimizes temperature increases and optimizes hydration, combining to create stronger gluten strands.Although you can buy commercial-grade spiral mixers for the home, they tend to have industrial-chic designs (so, not chic at all). And those from trusted brands like Hussler and Famag cost thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, Oonis model has a sleek design more eye-catching than an eyesore that would look right at home in the modern kitchen. It will be available in two colors: polar white and charcoal gray.OoniThe Halo Pro has a removable 7.3-quart bowl and a digital interface. Twisting a dial lets you cycle through its 58 mixing speeds. Ooni says its bowl can mix 11 pounds of dough at once enough for 20 pizzas or six loaves of bread.The mixer specializes in dough but is hardly limited to it. It ships with a spiral hook, removable breaker bar, geared whisk and flexible beater. That toolset opens the door to things like whipped cream, egg whites or batters.The Ooni Halo Pro will cost a lot of dough compared to traditional planetary mixers. (But not compared to many industrial spiral mixers.) It launches for $799 on April 8. You can sign up on Oonis website to be alerted when its available.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/oonis-first-departure-from-pizza-ovens-is-a-799-spiral-mixer-174510926.html?src=rss

Now's the time to grab our top pick for the best iPad you can get right now. An Amazon deal has brought a $100 price cut to the M2-powered iPad Air, so you can grab it for $499. That basically matches the record low of $498 that we saw in the past. The discount applies to all colorways of the 11-inch model, too, so you can pick the one that speaks to your personality the most. This deal is for the base model with 128GB of storage (double the base storage from the previous gen) and no cellular connectivity, though there is Wi-Fi 6E support. You'll get 8GB of RAM as well. We gave the M2 iPad Air, which debuted less than a year ago, a score of 91 in our review. It's our pick for the best iPad for most people. It hits the sweet spot between performance, features and price even more so considering this deal. It offers better future proofing compared with the entry-level iPad, as many features and apps only run on M-series chips and newer A-series ones. For basic tasks like web browsing and streaming video, performance shouldn't be an issue at all. The M2 iPad Air supports Apple Intelligence features, as well as demanding games like Death Stranding and the Resident Evil 4 remake. You should get about 10 hours of battery life on a single charge. There's no Face ID here, but a Touch ID fingerprint scanner is built into the power button. One other major positive is that Apple has shunted the front-facing camera to th longer side of the tablet, making FaceTime calls in landscape mode an easier proposition. The M2 iPad Air is compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, but not the second-gen Pencil. One of our main complaints about the M2 iPad Air is that it has an LCD display with a 60Hz refresh rate. It's not as smooth or vibrant as the 120Hz OLED you'll find on the most recent iPad Pro. Still, it's a bright, sharp screen. However you slice it, the M2 iPad Air is a pretty great tablet. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-11-inch-ipad-air-m2-drops-to-a-near-record-low-price-on-amazon-153619110.html?src=rss

Some gamers are already lining up to buy an Nvidia RTX 5090 - but is it worth it?

Nvidia issues statement after record share price crash.

Google employees have begun a petition for "job security" after CFO Anat Ashkenazi in October said the company could "push a little further" with cost cuts.

Oil and gas companies would be liable for damages caused byclimate change-related disasters in California under legislation introduced Monday by two Democratic lawmakers.The proposal claims that the oil industry intentionally deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels on climate change that now have intensified storms andwildfiresand caused billions of dollars in damage in California. Such disasters have also driven the state insurance market toa crisiswhere companies are raising rates, limiting coverage or pulling out completely from regions susceptible to wildfires and other natural disasters, supporters of the bill said.Under state law, utility companies are liable for damages if their equipment starts a wildfire. The same idea should apply to oil and gas companies, said Robert Herrell, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, for their massive contribution to these fires driven by climate change.The bill aims to alleviate the financial burdens on victims of such disasters and insurance companies by allowing them to sue the oil industry to recoup their losses. It would also allow the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, created by the state as a last resort for homeowners who couldnt find insurance, to do the same so it doesnt become insolvent.If approved, California would be the first state in the U.S. to allow for such lawsuits, according to the bills author, state Sen. Scott Wiener.We are all paying for these disasters, but there is one stakeholder that is not paying: the fossil fuel industry, which makes the product that is fueling the climate change, Wiener said at a Monday news conference.The new measure is bound to face major backlash from oil and gas companies, who have faceda string of defeatsin California in recent years as the countrys most populous state started to shift policy priorities to address climate change.The Western States Petroleum Association, representing oil and gas companies in five states, already signaled it will fight the bill. President and CEO Catherine Reheis-Boyd said state lawmakers are using the LA fires to scapegoat the industry.We need real solutions to help victims in the wake of this tragedy, not theatrics, Reheis-Boyd said in a statement. Voters are tired of this approach.Supporters said the measure will also help stabilize the states insurance market by allowing insurers to recover some of the costs after a natural disaster from oil companies, which will prevent increased rates from being passed onto policyholders. The bill is supported by several environmental and consumer protection groups.The legislation comes as California begins the long recovery process frommultiple deadly firesthat ripped through sections of Los Angeles and burned more than 12,000 structures earlier this month. The fires were namedthe most destructivein the modern history of the city of Los Angeles and estimated to bethe costliest natural disastersin U.S. history. Lawmakers last week voted tospend $2.5 billionto help the area rebuild.Dozens of U.S.municipalitiesas well as eight states and Washington, D.C., havesuedoil and gas companies in recent years over their role in climate change, according to the Center for Climate Integrity. Those suits are still making their way through the courts, including one filed by California more than a year ago against some of the worlds largest oil and gas companies, claiming theydeceived the publicabout the risks of fossil fuels.Scientistsoverwhelmingly agreethe world needs to drastically cut the burning of coal, oil and gas to limit global warming. Thats because when fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide forms and is released, which accounts for over three quarters of all human-causedgreenhouse gases.California is also working to persuade insurers to continue doing business in the state by giving them more latitude to raise premiums in exchange for more issuing policies in high-risk areas. Citing ballooning risks of climate-driven natural disasters, seven of the top 12 insurance companies doing business in California in 2023 eitherpaused or restrictednew business in the state. The state now allows insurers toconsider climate changewhen setting their prices and will soon also allow them pass on the costs of reinsurance to California consumers.Trn Nguyn, Associated Press