DeepSeek claims its R1 outperforms OpenAI's latest o1 model despite costing a fraction of the price the U.S. AI lab charges for its large language models.

Reid Hoffman returns to Rapid Response to explore todays AI landscape, and the future promised by a concept he calls superagency. Hoffman shares his vision for what an AI-infused workday will soon look like, how we should address societys greatest fears about technology, and more. As we enter a daunting new erapolitically, socially, and technologicallyHoffman urges listeners to choose curiosity over fear.This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by Robert Safian, former editor-in-chief of Fast Company. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response features candid conversations with todays top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Rapid Response wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.So you have a new book out today called Superagency with coauthor Greg Beato. Some people have called the book a surprisingly positive take on AI and on humanity. I think the surprise is less about you being optimistic than about the topic, that theres so much skepticism right now about the future of both AI and humanity.Can you start first by defining the word agency, and then what superagency is beyond that?So agency is our ability to express ourselves in the world, to make choices, to configure our environment, to say, This is . . . what I want to have happen to me, to my environment around me. Obviously nobody has infinite agency, but we all have some agency, and we aspire to that as part of what we do.AI, like other kinds of general-purpose technologies that have come before, gives us superpowers. Superpowers are like a car gives you superpower for mobility, the phone gives you superpowers for connectivity and information. AI gives you superpowers for the entire world of information, navigation, decision-making, etc.And what superagency is, is not just when you as an individual get the superpower, but when you and many of the people around you, when millions of people throughout society also get that superpower. Just as a car doesnt just transform your mobility, your ability to go somewhere, when other peoples mobility is similarly transformed, like a doctor can come for a house call, a friend can come to visit. So the society that you experience with this kind of superagency is when many people get the same superpowers, and were all benefiting from our own and from others.I mean, the fears around AI, I guess, are that AI will eventually limit human control. And when youre talking about superagency, youre sort of positing the opposite, that were going to have more control.Well, its actually different, but more in some important ways. These technological transformations of agency are never only additive. Theyre mostly additive. Like the car is broadly additive. But of course, if your agency was previously that you were a driver of a horse carriage, that agency changes.Like when you have a phone, you can reach out to other people, but other people can also reach out to you. So youre available. Agency kind of transforms in these cases. You can already see it if you start playing with these agents. You can now do things and accomplish things that you couldnt accomplish before, which unlocks your ability to learn things, your ability to communicate things, your ability to do things faster and in more interesting ways.Thats part of the reason why its really important that we actually play with these technologies. We engage with them. We do serious things with them. We do what I call in the book iterative deployment, and thats whats so important for us all engaging on this path heading towards superagency.Youve been preaching about the potential of AI for some time. You wrote a book with ChatGPT to demonstrate the potential. Youve made digital twins of yourself to try demystifying it.Not everyone is convinced. What do you feel like you have to fight most in getting people over this, and what prompted you to do the book now as a way to try to make that change?My biggest hope and persuasion is that people who are AI fearful or skeptical may begin to add some AI curiosity and kind of say, Hey, look, I should try to play with this.Part of what superagency is about is to say, look, it doesnt just matter for yourself, but its other people getting exposure to this that will also be good for your life. For example, if you think about the fact that I have a smartphone, I have a medical assistant that is as good or better than the average doctor.Would you rather have a radiologist read your X-ray scan, or would you rather have a radiologist with an AI?And the answer is with an AI every day of the week, eight days a week, because that then gives me a much better health outcome.So its not just me and my superpowers, but other people gaining superpowers also helps me.Even if Im not engaging quite the way you would like me to most, Im still going to get some of the benefits of this. Its going to be part of cultural changes.Ultimately how people get to adopting and adapting their lifestyle to these new technologies is because they begin to see, Oh, actually, in fact, this is a new, very good thing. As opposed to when cars were first introduced, they were considered so dangerous that they had to have a person walking in front of them, waving an orange flag.Now, we got rid of that regulation very quickly. And its like, okay, well, theyre dangerous, but can we contain and shape the danger in ways that are small relative to this massive benefit of superagency and mobility?AI acting on its own seems to be what scares people the most about it. But Ive thought that the likelihood that Im going to lose my job to an AI alone may happen at some point, but Im more likely now to lose my job to someone who uses AI better than I do, right? Although if Im losing my job, maybe it doesnt matter that much either way, which one Im losing it to.Part of the thing that I love about thinking about technology is whenever you think theres a problem, including a problem created by technology, you think, Can technology be a solution? So, yes, I do think that a lot of jobs will then start requiring the use of AI and AI agents as part of being professional. Its a little bit like if you said, Hey, Im a professional today, and I dont use a computer, or I dont use a smartphone. Its like, no, not really good.So there are technological requirements, which increase with new tool sets for doing jobs, and AI is definitely going to be one of those. That being said, part of the solution, you go, Oh, my God, am I going to be out of a job? Well, actually . . . this gets back to the book being for technologists and thinking about human agency: How do we help people have their agency to learn the new skills and say, Hey, yes, my job is going to be taken over by a human using an AI.Well, how about that human being me? Or, okay, so this particular one doesnt work, but how can the AI help me find a different job? In many ways, I think we will naturally get there, but I think, you know, just because well naturally get there doesnt mean we cant get there better by being intentional in having design.Its one of the reasons I identify myself as a bloomer in the book versus a zoomer, because I dont think that everything will just be great with technology.I think we have to steer it intentionally, because when human beings encounter new general-purpose technologies as early as the printing press, all the rest of them, we mess up in various ways. We handle the transition of new technologies badly. And part of the reason why Im doing this book, this podcast, things like this, is to try to say, Lets do this transition much better. It doesnt mean we wont have suffering in the transition.But if you embrace it with some agency, we can possibly make that both less painful and have more opportunities. We are entering into the cognitive industrial revolution, and all you have to do is look at any simple books about the industrial revolution to recognize transitions can be painful.Lets do this one better.

It was the year 2000. We survived Y2K and sat at our computers obsessed with a strange new game called The Sims. It was the first game I ever played where the protagonist could be late to work, forget to take out the garbage, or be so preoccupied by the doldrums of life that they might pee themselves.I, alongside millions, was hooked and could not articulate why.Born from the mind of Will Wrightthe same designer who bucked the industrys penchant for arcade games for world simulators like SimCityThe Sims is almost as hard to define now as it was then. Is it a virtual dollhouse? A simulacrum of suburban life? A neighborhood of tamagotchis with jobs? An HGTV home improvement show crossed with Real Housewives?[Image: EA]By design, whatever you call The Sims may reflect on you more than it. From its earliest days, The Sims universe has attempted to be anything but prescriptiveright down to its progressive view on relationships without labels or gender expectations. Twenty-five years later, the franchise, now owned by EA, has amassed half a billion players. The Sims 4 came out over a decade ago at this point, but after it became free-to-play in 2022, its popularity ballooned to reach 85 million players, and its released 17 expansions that allow people to do everything from arguing over family inheritance to convening a court of vampires.For the 25th anniversary, I sat down with two creatives that have been with the franchise since the original game to discuss their core design approach of The Sims, whats kept players obsessed, and why fewer of these little characters are peeing themselves these days.[Image: EA]A funhouse mirror of the worldThe Sims may have a quiet premisecreate a character and their home, choose a profession, and socialize with neighborsbut nothing about the presentation from there is literal. Through every bit of its art, design, and animation, the world balances the mundane with the zany. That not only brings an element of fun to The Sims; it expands whats plausible at any moment.We definitely talk more about being relatable than realistic, which means that we do lean more dramatic in our acting and our animation, says Lyndsay Pearson, VP of franchise creative for The Sims. Thats partially because of the way you play the game: Youre far away [from characters], you need to be able to read it. But also because that supports the world and the stories were trying to enable.Each gesture of these little characters is exaggerated, as if theyre actors on a stage being read from the audience, even though youre just sitting at your computer. That ensures that the mundane feels interesting.[Image: EA]When youre cooking, or going to sleep, or making up the bed, or doing these life actions, a lot of your players actually want to experience them in this extremely whimsical and playful fashion. Nobody wants to see that in a replica of actual real life the exact same way, says Nawwaf Barakat, senior animation director for The Sims. So it needs to be telling its own story every single time. It needs to look interesting the 1,000th time youve actually seen it.The tone of those moments isnt merely legible or entertaining; they also highlight the farce, expanding whats possible in the world.Weve described it as a fun house mirror to the world, where it looks familiar enough that you can relate to it and feel like, Oh, if I if I take out the trash, I understand the chain of events and the rules of this universe, but its all skewed so that when a giant monster pops out of the trash, Im not surprised. [The design] explains that these things can coexist.[Image: EA]Implying so the player can inferWhile players enjoy rich, multigenerational stories in The Simscomplete with love, backstabbing, and sudden plot twistsin fact, the design team admits that most of this narrative takes place in your head. The Sims is really a game of interpretation, says Barakat. Its amazing how much our players will actually fill the stories in themselves.A key idea behind fiction, born from The University of Iowas Writers Workshop, is that the writer should imply so the reader can infer. The Sims is designed to do this across a characters relationships. The Sims speak in Simlish (gibberish that sounds almost like English). You can broach a topic, like brag about promotion, but responses from characters are always in either Simlish or word clouds filled with simplistic, emoji-like images.[Image: EA]Many players try to tell multi-generational stories in the game, and recently, The Sims released an expansion all about death and family legacy. The challenge was about creating an opportunity for these stories without determining the plot ahead of time.We added enough conversation dialog choices or enough icons in the thought balloons to get them to think about the character or think about a gravestone, that you could make that story kind of happen, says Pearson. So, we have to carve out those spaces, particularly to leave room for that interpretation to say, Oh, this could be them all mourning at a wake, but it could also be, Theyre all fighting at a wake.[Image: EA]These techniques almost sound silly to deconstruct, but theyre also at the core of how iconography and symbology works across culture. There are points where interpretations are shared, and points where they diverge. Everything in between is the fun of criticism IRLand where the opportunity for differing interpretations around narrative exist in The Sims.You see comments online sometimes about how deep our game is, how we thought of everything, says Barakat. And were like, Wow, we didnt really think about that! It was our players building that story based off of all the elements we provided.[Image: EA]By avoiding labels, not only is The Sims less prescriptive, it is also more inclusive. (You wont find Republicans and Democrats in The Sims, for instance.) Since the earliest days of the game, relationships spanned gender boundaries without specific labels around status. Today, The Sims 4 does allow players to very deeply specify a characters gender and sexual identity (and even if they lactate), but still, the way this background plays out in actual game logic can be fluid and, again, unlabeled. Sims may fight, but they dont judge.[Image: EA]Is polyamory just the absence of jealousy? Because functionally, thats kind of what it is. If you decide what gets jealous of what, the player then can infer a lot of different types of relationships of that, says Pearson. And we dont have to label all of them. We dont have to provide specific definitions and restrictions. We sort of just have to open up space, which is a really interesting design challenge . . . we say, Whats the lowest common denominator that would unlock a lot of these things?[Image: EA]Building forgivable failure (like, why Sims still pee themselves)You cannot win The Sims 4. But you cannot lose either. The way that the franchise has handled the topic of failure has evolved over time, climbing Maslovs hierarchy of needs to be less about survival than everything else in life.When you go back and play The Sims 1, it is very hard to keep your Sims alive. They caught fire all the time. It was a very dangerous world in The Sims 1, the plate spinning was really hard, says Pearson. So, when we moved into The Sims 2, we wanted to introduce a different level of pushback, a little bit higher up the sort of chain of needs. Sims began failing at the meta layers of life, like being too lonely.[Image: EA]But by The Sims 3 and 4, everything got a little bit easier about life. Your Sims dont fail so much as they just arent thriving, and that you can do so much more when youre working with them, nurturing them, and pushing them along the way, says Pearson.ScreenshotMicromanaging has been tuned down in interest of choose-your-own-adventure story charting. If you arent spending every moment feeding yourself so you dont starve, or showering so you dont stink, you can spend more time, say, turning an entire town into vampires.But notably, you still need to tend to your Sim. You even need to make sure that they use the bathroom now and again, or else, yes, after 25 years, they will still pee themselves. This micromanagement isnt just gamification to keep the player active, but core to the emotional draw of The Sims.Theres a certain amount of pushback that the game still needs for you to believe that these are little people that need you, and that could be a mode of failure, like having an accident or starving. We try to make those entertaining as well: things like being hit by a meteor because you were stargazing for too long, says Pearson. Because at the end of the day, that is a reminder that there is a little bit of humanity in them that you need to pay attention to, and that you cant just treat them like some ants and its fine if they die. You want to care about them.And perhaps thats the real appeal of The Sims after two and a half decades. In a world where we constantly dehumanize one another, reflexively hating people as avatars on social media, The Sims offers another waywhere even a few polygons and lines of code can be worthy of our care.

Chinese studio Muda Architects has added a series of glazed commercial spaces topped with snaking rooftop walkways to the Lujiatan Wetland Park in Chengdu.Located in the city's Wenjiang district, the Lujiatan Wetland Park Commercial Service Center also features a double-helix observation tower that overlooks the surrounding natural landscape.Sinuous accessible roofs top the Lujiatan Wetland Park Commercial Service Center. Photo by Dong ImageMuda Architects' took cues from the meandering shapes of the nearby Jinma and Minjiang Rivers when designing the building's sinuous white-steel roof, on which visitors can walk.The design is intended to blend into the surrounding landscape while celebrating the local nature and culture.Local rivers informed its curving shape"Fluid curves inspired by riverside textures define the structure, while the horizontal roof and transparent glass facades yield an impression of 'floating on water', blending effortlessly into the wetland's natural surroundings," said Muda Architects."This project seeks to harness the park's natural gifts and Wenjiang's cultural characteristics," the studio continued."Within a contemporary design language, the architecture not only respects the ecological essence of the site but also accentuates the distinctive charm of Wenjiang's local culture."It contains glazed retail spacesSlim columns support two curving rooftops. One shelters a glazed form containing multiple retail units and the other unites the observation tower with three additional glazed volumes containing further retail space, storage and toilet facilities.The commercial centre's centrepiece is the double-helix staircase, which spirals from the ground floor and punctures through the metal roof to rise to a viewpoint looking out to the distant Longmen Mountain.Read: Muda Architects completes circular museum dedicated to traditional Chinese medicine"The commercial areas along the circulation lines are unified through the horizontal connection of the building's roof, while the double-helix observation tower, positioned at the golden ratio point in the sequence, becomes the focus of the entire architectural complex," said Muda Architects."Balancing lightness and ecological integrity, the building integrates seamlessly with the surrounding wetland landscape, establishing a contemporary architectural landmark for the region."Muda Architects designed a walkway that cantilevers over the river. Photo by Dong ImageLujiatan Wetland Park Commercial Service Center is built on a wooden base that extends to form curving paths and bridges leading to other areas of the park. In front of the observation tower, a walkway extends over the river to form a cantilevered waterfront platform.Muda Architects designed these pathways and the accessible rooftop to encourage visitors to explore and immerse themselves in the landscape.A double-helix viewpoint punctures through the sinuous metal roof"The wooden platform serves as a bond between the site and the wetland park," said Muda Architects."One side meanders towards the water, creating a cantilevered hydrophilic platform that offers visitors a close-up opportunity to connect with nature; the other side connects to the Jinma River greenway."Slim columns support the walkable roofAccording to Muda Architects, by combining retail and public space in the Lujiatan Wetland Park, the centre is hoped to foster a connection between local people and nature."Merging local culture with modern architectural language, the project creates a multifunctional public space with ecological significance and functional value, offering Chengdu residents a new lifestyle possibility while setting a benchmark for the integration of nature and urban development in Wenjiang," said the studio.Muda Architects was founded in Chengdu in 2015. Other projects by the studio featured on Dezeen include a museum in Pengzhou informed by the shape of the yin-yang symbol and a lakeside bookshop in Chengdu with a swooping roof.The photography is by Arch Exist unless stated otherwise.The post Muda Architects punctures sinuous retail centre in China with double-helix viewpoint appeared first on Dezeen.

The final project on our list of the 25 most significant buildings of the 21st century is the restoration of the Grand Palais in Paris by Chatillon Architectes, bookending our series with two powerful stories of reuse and renewal.Few buildings garnered as much international attention in 2024 as the Grand Palais, even though it was built 124 years earlier.The sweeping glass and steel structure on the Champs-lyses reopened following its first major restoration, securing its place as a venue for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.It was a herculean effort led by the French studio Chatillon Architectes, which guided a team of 1,000 artisans from over 50 companies to turn the project around in under four years.Though the Grand Palais was already one of Paris's most loved landmarks, these efforts gave rise to what became a centrepiece of the event. Echoing the ethos of the 2024 games touted as the greenest ever it illustrated the value of preserving architectural heritage.It is a fitting end to our series, which began with the Tate Modern an art gallery in the shell of an abandoned power station completed in 2000 by Herzog & de Meuron.Together, the projects offer a masterclass on how a building's history can be respected while being brought up to modern-day standards with contemporary tools, sending a pertinent message to the architectural community as it navigates an age of demolition.The Grand Palais was the most significant building of 2024The Grand Palais is arguably best known for its vast and intricate barrel-vaulted atrium, or nave, which is crafted from more than 6,000 tonnes of steel. It is crowned by the largest glass roof in Europe.Upon its reopening, architecture critic Stephen Zacks described the renovated building as "a show-stopping 21st-century centrepiece".Meanwhile, the Financial Times hailed it as "an architectural cadavre exquis", where "everywhere you look there are treasures".A show-stopping 21st-century centrepieceStephen Zacks in MetropolisThough the 72,000-square-metre landmark stole the limelight in 2024, the building's significance runs to long before that.Built to host the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900 to showcase French art, it has served as an ornate backdrop to many international exhibitions and events, ranging from Chanel fashion shows to art fairs including Art Basel Paris.More somberly, it was even used as a world war one military hospital and, during the Nazi occupation of Paris, as an exhibition space for propaganda.Originally built in 1900, it reopened last year following an extensive renovation by Chatillon ArchitectesChatillon Architectes' ambition for the project was to preserve and celebrate as much of the original Beaux-Arts structure as possible, honouring the original vision of its architects Henri Deglane, Albert Louvet, Albert Thomas and Charles Girault.Changes have included reopening areas once closed to the public, and the carving out of a sightseeing route into its plan. Its building services have also been modernised, bringing the building up to the standards of a modern-day events venue.The scale of work was so unprecedented it required the studio to split it into two phases, with the first centred around the nave, ensuring it was ready to host fencing and taekwondo events in the Olympics.We have approached the project with a contemporary mindset, ensuring that the building is prepared for its next phase of lifeFrancois ChatillonThis phase also involved improving the link between the Grand Palais and the surrounding gardens, while reinstating the building's original central axis across its Hshaped plan, reconnecting its three main spaces including the nave.In the nave itself, Chatillon Architectes restored the ornate balconies and improved escape routes, allowing its capacity to increase by more than 60 per cent.The second phase, which is yet to complete, is focused on its surrounding rooms. Its full reopening as a sporting and cultural events venue is expected in 2025, when the Centre Pompidou will temporarily move into the galleries.The building was used as a venue for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games"The scale of the project is quite unbelievable, from the design stage to the construction," studio founder Francois Chatillon told Dezeen on a tour of the building before its opening."We have explored thousands of archival documents to truly understand the building and its original intentions," he continued."Our focus has always been to honour and restore the best of the building's past but not to do this blindly. We have approached the project with a contemporary mindset, ensuring that the building is prepared for its next phase of life and that, above all, it is a functioning building for modern society."When French president Emmanuel Macron announced plans for the project it was met with scepticism due to the quick timeframe in which it was to be delivered. Next to the restoration of the fire-damaged Notre-Dame Cathedral, it is reportedly the country's largest public building project.Read: Herzog & de Meuron's Tate Modern was the most significant building of 2000"Four years ago, we were told that it was still crazy," said Macron of the Grand Palais restoration. "But now the whole world will rediscover the Grand Palais as a place of creation, of exhibition, of knowledge, of welcoming the public."Giving the building back to the public in this way was always the overarching goal of the studio, according to Chatillon."Our main objective from the very beginning was to make the Grand Palais a public building again," he said. "In recent times, it is a building that has been accessible on occasion but not possible to truly experience it became a monument that was often only observed from afar.""We have been able to make the Grand Palais a functioning building once again and one that the public can now truly enjoy and explore."Did we get it right? Was the Grand Palais renovation by Chatillon Architectes the most significant building completed in 2024? Let us know in the comments. With all 25 buildings revealed, we will be running a poll to determine the most significant building of the 21st century so far.This article is part of Dezeen's21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildingsseries, which looks at the most significant architecture of the 21st century so far. For the series, we have selected the most influential building from each of the first 25 years of the century.The illustration is byJack Bedford and the photography is by Edmund Sumner, unless otherwise stated.21st Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings2000:Tate Modern by Herzog & de Meuron2001:Gando Primary School by Dibdo Francis Kr2002:Bergisel Ski Jump by Zaha Hadid2003:Walt Disney Concert Hall by Frank Gehry2004:Quinta Monroy by Elemental2005:Moriyama House by Ryue Nishizawa2006:Madrid-Barajas airport by RSHP and Estudio Lamela2007:Oslo Opera House by Snhetta2008:Museum of Islamic Art by I M Pei2009:Murray Grove by Waugh Thistleton Architects2010:Burj Khalifa by SOM2011:National September 11 Memorial byHandel Architects2012:CCTV Headquarters by OMA2013:Cardboard Cathedral by ShigeruBan2014:Bosco Verticale by Stefano Boeri2015:UTEC Lima campus by Grafton Architects2016:Transformation of 530 Dwellings by Lacaton & Vassal, Frdric Druot and Christophe Hutin2017:Apple Park by Foster + Partners2018:Amager Bakke by BIG2019:Goldsmith Street by Mikhail Riches with Cathy Hawley2020:Anandaloy by Anna Heringer2021:Sara Kulturhus by White Arkitekter2022:Reggio School by Andrs Jaque2023: Third Space by Studio Saar2024: Grand Palais renovation by Chatillon ArchitectesThe post The Grand Palais was the most significant building of 2024 appeared first on Dezeen.

With the Lunar New Year this week, its not surprising to see quite a number of products trying to capitalize on the celebration. Snake-themed designs have been quite trendy the past few days, though some come in forms you least expected. Who would have thought that the reptile would slither on our wrists in ways that are both luxurious and nostalgic?There is, for example, this rather elaborate luxury watch that has a golden snake wrapping around the tourbillon. Although just as premium and stylish, this limited edition watch, designed just for the Year of the Snake, puts a different twist on that theme. Rather than some generic snake, The Twelve Snake reminds us of one of the most addictive mobile games that ever landed on phones, though thankfully not in a form that could have you lose time instead of tracking it.Designers: x Romaric (seconde/seconde/)Even in the 90s, mobile phones were already becoming more than just communication devices. Thats because even in the 90s, people would often find themselves with long pockets of idle time, whether waiting in line or stuck in traffic. Despite the simplicity of the graphics and controls, the Snake game on Nokia phones brought countless hours of mindless fun, mashing those two or four keys to make sure that your ever-growing snake doesnt go hungry and eat itself.This attention-grabbing 40mm watch brings back memories of those days by imprinting that pixelated snake on your wrist. The bright Venom Green dial and its woven pattern mimic the low-res screens of the old Nokia phones on which the game found its notoriety. The black snake slithers around the clock like the 90s, trying to take a bit out of the Christopher Ward twin-flags logo. Thankfully, this isnt some smartwatch that will let you play the game at the expense of your productivity and eyesight.There are other literally small details that add even more elements of fun to the watch. A false date window at the 7:30 position cycles through six different treats at random times throughout the month. Although definitely Swiss-made, the watchs text says HISS MADE instead, along with two red bite marks at 6 oclock to prove it. Flipping the watch over reveals a green sovereign with the words CHEERS TO THE SNAKE YEAR(S) printed on it. There you will also find yet another snake circling its way around the perimeter.The Twelve Snake isnt just all looks, of course, with a Sellita SW200-1 Automatic movement powering its intricate mechanism. The 26-jewel movement boasts a 38-hour power reserve, longer than the life of an old-school Nokia phone. As expected, such a special watch has quite an exquisite price tag attached to it to the tune of $1,225. Unfortunately, the window of opportunity to grab this nostalgia trip is closing fast, As the pre-order ends on February 12th.The post The Twelve Snake limited edition watch lets you reminisce the simple joys of the 90s first appeared on Yanko Design.

Digital artist Maciek azowski learned Blender in a year.

Welcome to the White Houses own cinematic universe. Plus, the upcoming Democratic National Committee election and how candidates are pitching their digital plans.

For years, the Twitch streamer Valentin Squirelo has been seeking new ways players with disabilities can enjoy games without expensive hardware. Now he and his community of fans have invented a solution.

MacworldWhether youre a veteran Mac user or a macOS Sequoia newbie, youve probably heard that Macs never need to be restarted. Its a belief that goes back to the time when PC and Macs were represented by different actors and let me tell you: Its a myth.Now, some of you reading this will roll your eyes and say, Well, of course. But there are plenty of MacBook users who simply close their lid at the end of the day and reopen it the next morning. The only time they might consider a restart is when a macOS update forces them to.I know because I was one. Ive been a Mac user since 2000 (Power Mac G4 Gigabit Ethernet)and have never made a habit of restarting. It was never an issue until I got my first Apple silicon Mac. Even though it had 16GB of RAM, twice that of the laptop it replaced, I had constant issues, with memory pressure causing regular slowdowns and crashes, and battery life suffering.I thought maybe it was an M1 issue, being a first-generation chip and all, but the problem persisted when I upgraded to an M2 Pro machine a year later (also with 16GB of RAM). So last year I sprung for a MacBook far more capable than I needed: an M3 Max MacBook Pro with 36GB of RAM.While I use my MacBook a lot, Im not what youd call a heavy user. I use Photoshop, Microsoft 365 apps, and Safari with roughly 20 tabs open at all times. But even on this monster of a machine, which runs very fast most of the time, it struggles to keep up after a couple of weeks without a restart. Its most noticeable with the battery, which can fluctuate between hours no matter what Im doing.FoundryAs you can see in the screenshot above, last week my battery screen-on time averaged between 7-9 hours. This week, that was up to nearly 12 hours. The only difference? A restart on Sunday night.While Macs back in the day could go months without a restart and run just the same, todays modern machines are far more complex. For example, the unified memory serves both the CPU and the GPU so its constantly in use. Even as I write this, nearly 30GB of my systems 36GB of memory is in use. Thats not a flaw, its the way macOS works with Apples system architecture. Its why everything feels so speedy and smooth, but its also the reason why things get bogged down after a while.And its why a restart once a week or so will go a long way. Dont worry, I wont tell your PC friends.