Let's run it all the way back to 2000. EA is celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Simsby making the original game and The Sims 2 available to purchase once again. You can buy them separately with expansion packs included for $20 for the original game and $30 for the sequel. A 25th birthday bundle that includes both costs $40 on Steam, the Epic Games Store and the EA app on Windows. EA Play Pro subscribers also have unlimited access to the games on the EA app starting today. There's no word as yet on the re-releases coming to consoles or Mac. Rumors emerged in recent days that the two games might once again be available to buy after EA released a teaser video that included user interface elements from them. Kotaku notes that the original game was only available on a physical disc format, while support for the sequel ended over a decade ago. Since then, players have had to jump through hoops to get them to run on modern systems. Maxis says it has been working to make the re-releases more compatible with Windows 10 and 11, but notes that it had to nix one expansion pack and some original songs from The Sims 2: Legacy Collection for licensing reasons. I wish I still had the full-body scan I had captured of myself at the Millennium Dome in 2000 so I could properly play as a child version of myself in The Sims again (the avatar might still be on a floppy disc somewhere in my parents' garage). Nevertheless, I'm sure I and many others will be spamming the "rosebud" cheat to afford all the gear we want for our virtual homes, while some folks will surely be happy to send a particularly annoying Sim for a swim then delete the pool ladder, prompting an appearance from the Grim Reaper. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-sims-and-the-sims-2-are-back-on-pc-as-part-of-the-series-25th-anniversary-celebration-170535474.html?src=rss

The Zeekr 7X SUV can add around 21 miles of range for every minute of charging.

Have we got a new Ted Lasso on our hands with the new Netflix sports comedy Running Point?

As wind-driven wildfires spread through the Los Angeles area in January 2025, fire-spotting technology and computer models were helping firefighters understand the rapidly changing environment they were facing.That technology has evolved over the years, yet some techniques are very similar to those used over 100 years ago.I have spent several decades studying combustion, including wildfire behavior and the technology used to track fires and predict where wildfires might turn. Heres a quick tour of the key technologies used today.Spotting fires fasterFirst, the fire must be discovered.Often wildfires are reported by people seeing smoke. That hasnt changed, but other ways fires are spotted have evolved.In the early part of the 20th century, the newly established U.S. Forest Service built fire lookout towers around the country. The towers were topped by cabins with windows on all four walls and provided living space for the fire lookouts. The system was motivated by the Great Fire of 1910 that burned three million acres in Washington, Idaho and Montana and killed 87 people.Before satellites, fire crews watched for smoke from fire towers across the national forests. [Photo: K. D. Swan/U.S. Forest Service]Today, cameras watch over many high-risk areas. California has more than 1,100 cameras watching for signs of smoke. Artificial intelligence systems continuously analyze the images to provide data for firefighters to quickly respond. AI is a way to train a computer program to recognize repetitive patterns: smoke plumes in the case of fire.NOAA satellites paired with AI data analysis also generate alerts but over a wider area. They can detect heat signatures, map fire perimeters and burned areas, and track smoke and pollutants to assess air quality and health risks.Forecasting fire behaviorOnce a fire is spotted, one immediate task for firefighting teams is to estimate how the fire is going to behave so they can deploy their limited firefighting resources most effectively.Fire managers have seen many fires and have a sense of the risks their regions face. Today, they also have computer simulations that combine data about the terrain, the materials burning and the weather to help predict how a fire is likely to spread.Fuel modelsFuel models are based on the ecosystem involved, using fire history and laboratory testing. In Southern California, for example, much of the wildland fuel is chaparral, a type of shrubland with dense, rocky soil and highly flammable plants in a Mediterranean climate. Chaparral is one of the fastest-burning fuel types, and fires can spread quickly in that terrain.For human-made structures, things are a bit more complex. The materials a house is made ofif it has wood siding, for exampleand the environment around it, such as how close it is to trees or wooden fences, play an important role in how likely it is to burn and how it burns.Weather and terrainTerrain is also important because it influences local winds and because fire tends to run faster uphill than down. Terrain data is well known thanks to satellite imagery and can easily be incorporated into computer codes.Weather plays another critical role in fire behavior. Fires need oxygen to burn, and the windier it is, the more oxygen is available to the fire. High winds also tend to generate embers from burning vegetation that can be blown up to five miles in the highest winds, starting spot fires that can quickly spread.Today, large computer simulations can forecast the weather. There are global models that cover the entire Earth and local models that cover smaller areas but with better resolution that provides greater detail.Both provide real-time data on the weather for creating fire behavior simulations.Modeling how flames spreadFlame-spread models can then estimate the likely movement of a fire.Scientists build these models by studying past fires and conducting laboratory experiments, combined with mathematical models that incorporate the physics of fire. With local terrain, fuel, and real-time weather information, these simulations can help fire managers predict a fires likely behavior.Advanced modeling can account for fuel details such as ground-level plant growth and tree canopies, including amount of cover, tree height, and tree density. These models can estimate when a fire will reach the tree canopy and how that will affect the fires spread.Forecasting helps, but wind can change fastAll these tools are made available to firefighters in computer applications and can help fire crews as they respond to wildfires.However, wind can rapidly change speed or direction, and new fires can start in unexpected places, meaning fire managers know they have to be prepared for many possible outcomesnot just the likely outcomes they see on their computer screens.Ultimately, during a fire, firefighting strategy is based on human judgment informed by experience, as well as science and technology.John W. Daily is a research professor in thermo fluid sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. investors have had a wild 2025 so far. Earlier this month, the beleaguered stock (Nasdaq: WBA) soared 25% after beating Q1 2025 expectations on revenue and earnings per share. Yet today, the companys stock is crashingWBA shares are currently down over 15% in early trading.But this stock price swing has nothing to do with sales. Instead, it likely has to do with Walgreens changes to its dividend payouts. Heres what you need to know.Why is Walgreens stock crashing?As of the time of this writing, Walgreens shares are down over 15% in early market trading. The reason for the crashing stock price likely has to do with a change the company announced to its dividend payouts.Todays WBA crash comes after the company announced yesterday that it would be suspending dividend payments to shareholders in order to better manage its capital allocation.This change in capital allocation is aimed at strengthening WBAs balance sheet by reducing debt over time and improving free cash flow, as the company works toward achieving a retail pharmacy-led turnaround underpinned by a sustainable economic model, the company said in a statement announcing the changes. The companys cash needs over the next several years, including with respect to litigation and debt refinancing, were important considerations as part of the decision to suspend the dividend.News of Walgreens pausing its dividend payments is historic. As the Associated Press notes, Walgreens has been making quarterly dividend payments to shareholders for nearly a century.What is a dividend?When it comes to the stock market, a dividend is usually a cash payment a company makes to shareholders. The payment is usually made every quarter and is deposited as cash in the shareholders brokerage account. A stockholder receives a set amount of cash for each share they own in the company.Many companies pay dividends, including tech giants like Apple and Nvidia. Dividends are a way to reward investors for their loyalty by allowing them to profit from the companys cash stockpiles directly. Dividends can also act as an incentive to hold onto a stock even if the stock itself isnt appreciating much in value, as investors are given a cash payout on a recurring schedulemeaning that simply owning the stock earns them recurring income.What does Walgreens pausing of its dividends mean?It suggests that the company is going to need all the cash it can get its hands on in order to implement its desired turnaround, which is aimed at reducing costs and increasing revenue. Instead of continuing to give cash directly to its investors, Walgreens believes that cash can be better spent on its turnaround effortswhich may benefit investors in the long run.However, many investors like to invest in stocks that offer dividends. And some of the share price fall in WGA seen this morning could represent some investors dumping their holdings since dividends are no longer being paid. But the stock price fall could also signal that Walgreens turnaround efforts are going to be more challenging and longer-lasting than many thought. That uncertainty may be causing some people to dump the stock this morning.WGA stock is still up for 2025Today is the last trading day of January, but despite WGAs 15% drop in early trading, the stock is actually still up about 3.8% year-to-datemainly thanks to that 25% jump earlier this month.However, looking beyond the past month, theres no denying that Walgreens stock has been headed in the wrong direction for some time. Over the past 12 months, WGA stock is down more than 57%. Over the past five years, the stock has collapsed by around 81%.The pharmacy chain is facing a number of challenges, including decreased profits, increased online competition, and lower reimbursement rates for prescription drugs. As a result of some of these challenges, last year, the company announced plans to close as many as 1,200 stores.

Dezeen School Shows: chairs made from flax fibres and PLA plastic are included in this School Show from the Royal Danish Academy.Also included is a proposal for a harbour promoting leisure in Flensburg, Germany, and a graphic design project that aims to engage students in physics.Royal Danish AcademyInstitution: Royal Danish AcademyCourse: Architecture and DesignSchool statement:"The Royal Danish Academy is proud to present nine diverse projects, selected from the more than 240 graduation projects created by architects and designers at the 2024 graduation exhibition: New Design and Architecture."This selection shows how a new generation of architects and designers has worked with concrete and complex issues."Their projects inspire new paths towards more sustainable development and illustrate how architecture and design can help drive real societal change."The graduates present original and aesthetic graduation projects, which are based on science, art or practice, with several projects created in collaboration with public and private companies with input from other professional fields."The Royal Danish Academy has focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals for many years. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their context provide an important compass for graduation projects."One of the driving forces in the projects is the student's engagement in the world and how we create a viable planet for the future."The projects show how the new generation of architects and designers has worked with concrete and complex issues in our society."The Birthing Clinic a mutually beneficial relationship between humans and naturebyAlma Kober Srensen"Mothering Nature features a birth clinic in Rajasthan, India, through the lens of multispecies living."Graduate Alma Kober Srensen has investigated how Rajasthan faces high rates of malnutrition among pregnant women and their children."Meanwhile, biodiversity is declining globally. The project shows how architecture can establish an environment for a mutually beneficial relationship between humans and nature."The proposal is a multispecies habitat with health and education facilities for children and mothers, along with habitats for insects and animals from the local ecosystem."Student: Alma Kober SrensenCourse: Architecture and Extreme EnvironmentsTutor: Runa JohannessenEmail: alma-kober[at]hotmail.comBeyond Debris from physical debris to a digital material bankbySandro Siefert"Beyond Debris challenges contemporary demolition waste handling."Combining digital and traditional craft, it transforms demolition sites and their waste into urban quarries with precious building material."The project by Sandro Siefert leverages photogrammetry to create high-fidelity geometries and textures for objects quarried from a demolition site."By taking multiple images from diverse perspectives, he creates 3D models of the debris."This method ensures accuracy in digital representation and bridges the gap between physical and digital spatial orientations by capturing plane-reference marks."All objects are then catalogued in a streamlined digital material bank, which facilitates better use and understanding of reclaimed components."Student: Sandro SiefertCourse: Computation in ArchitectureTutor: Nadja Gaudillire-JamiEmail: sandro.siefert[at]outlook.comStay Soft Collection by Sarah Blicher Bruunsgaard Bek"The Stay Soft Collection is a result of combining fashion and philosophy."The collection questions how humans have neglected their senses and bodily connection to their surroundings."The research behind the project is mainly built upon first-hand sensory experiences made by designer Sarah Bek."Bek maps and documented travels to New York and used these as the starting point for material, shape, silhouette and embellishment research."Bek works with an emotional perspective to fashion, using strategies such as user understanding through interviews and wardrobe studies, embedded storytelling and aesthetic longevity, in the aim of creating a new language of femininity."Student: Sarah Blicher Bruunsgaard BekCourse: Fashion, Clothing and TextilesTutor: Marcus Aminaka WilmontEmail:sarahblicherbek[at]gmail.comBundle a biobased chairbyKirstine Sejersen and Jn Hinrik Hskuldsson"Bundle is the result of material-driven investigations of the potential of bio-based composites in furniture design."The project was done as a collaboration between Kirstine Sejersen and Jn Hinrik Hskuldsson."Through experimentation, they found a material composition and a set of design principles that allowed them to design a lightweight, mono-material chair."The chair is produced by thermo-pressing flax fibres and bio-based PLA plastic into rigid shells."The goal was to enhance the properties of plastic-based products while reducing their environmental impact increasing the aesthetic appeal of plastic products, without losing strength and durability."Students: Kirstine Sejersen and Jn Hinrik HskuldssonCourse: Furniture Design Products, Materials and ContextsTutor: Antonio ScaffidiEmails: kirstinesejersen[at]hotmail.com and jonhiho[at]gmail.comParentheses: A Series of physics books using the visual language of formulasby Anna Rebecka Kristensson"The project by Anna Rebecka Kristensson aims to create an interdisciplinary approach to physics education targeted at Swedish students aged 15 to 17."It consists of a new design of a physics book created to engage students in understanding physics formulas."By creating new ways of learning about the fundamentals of physics, Kristensson's project makes a significant contribution to education."She uses tools from graphic design to create a more welcoming entry point to formulas in physics, especially for students early in their education."All content in the book, from cover to illustrations, are made of the same source of numbers and symbols."Student: Anna Rebecka KristenssonCourse: Graphic Communication DesignTutor: Rasmus Spanggaard TroelsenEmail: info[at]annakristensson.comHafenbad small-scale route to urban renewalbyPaulina Marie Heinz"Once a bustling port, Flensburg's east harbour is now largely vacant. Hafenbad is a large urban project planned to develop the former industrial area into a new residential district."Hafenbad explores an alternative, small-scale and catalytic route to urban renewal."It asks the question: can we initiate cultural and urban transformation from the ground up, starting at the local level?"Using locally mined materials, this project investigates a resource-friendly approach to design and planning practices as well as a progressive architectural language."The resulting harbour bath seeks to become an authentic and accessible place of leisure."Student: Paulina Marie HeinzCourse: Spatial DesignTutor: Nicolas Thomas LeeEmail: pauli.heinz[at]googlemail.comReCraft design elements from demolished materials by David Maximilian Schneider, Matti Elias Gran Kemppainen and Karoline Cecilie Aigner"This project focuses on the innovative repurposing of demolished construction materials, aiming to extend their lifecycle and introduce new building practices."The project is a collaboration between David Maximilian Schneider, Matti Elias Gran Kemppainen and Karoline Cecilie Aigner."By valuing non-standardised materials, the project enables unique design possibilities and empowers architects and builders to push creative boundaries."The first ReCrafted materials are interior elements such as flooring and wall tiles or cladding, available in various shapes, colours and textures."These products originate from three different demolition sites and belong to two separate collections."Students: David Maximilian Schneider, Matti Elias Gran Kemppainen and Karoline Cecilie AignerCourse: Strategic Design and EntrepreneurshipTutors: Morten Emil EngelEmails: david.m.schneider[at]outlook.com, mr.mkemppainen[at]gmail.com and aigkaroline[at]gmail.comGrowing together, on the banks of a dying riverbyLaurits Honor Rnne"The decaying Spree River allows new landscapes to emerge in Berlin."This project by Laurits Honor Rnne explores the social and ecological possibilities in cultivating a wilderness in collaboration between citizens and resident tech companies."Through animation and interpretation of scientifically predicted scenarios, Laurits proposes a long-term strategy for the preservation and maintenance of a wild river delta."The project was presented as a spatial installation with a performance of a presentation script guiding through a digital model on a three-channel video display."The presentation highlighted different interventions, visions and reflections in the proposal."Student: Laurits Honor RnneCourse: Political Architecture: Critical SustainabilityTutor: Deata HemerEmail: lauritsronne[at]gmail.comImagining the Future of Lesjfors by Astrid Broqvist"This project aims to investigate the future of an industrial town typology in Sweden by challenging the prevailing focus on growth."The project by Astrid Broqvist seeks to envision the future of Lesjfors, Sweden, a town in decline that since its peak has lost around 70 per cent of its inhabitants."Today many of Lesejfors' buildings are vacant or abandoned demolition has left gaps in the urban structure and created concerns among the people who live there."The project aims to promote practices of subtraction, redistribution and maintenance, through interventions on an architectural scale."The interventions are based on analysis conducted with the help of voices and perspectives from Lesjfors."Student: Astrid BroqvistCourse: Urbanism and Societal ChangeTutor: Deane Alan SimpsonEmail: astridbroqvist[at]gmail.comPartnership contentThese projects are presented inschool showsfrom institutions that partner with Dezeen. Find out more about Dezeen partnership contenthere.The post Nine student projects from the Royal Danish Academy appeared first on Dezeen.

A black home nestled in a Chilean forest and a London house adjoining a 1960s extension by Norman Foster feature in Dezeen'shouses of the month for January.Otherhousesfeatured in our monthlyroundup of the most popular homes published on Dezeen include a five-storey multi-generational home in India and a concrete house in the Czech Republic with staggered floor levels.Read on to find out more about our houses of the month:Photo by Pablo Casals AguirreKW House, Chile, by Eugenio Simonetti and Bastian San MartinSituated in an area of protected forest in Chile, KW House features wood-lined bedrooms perched atop a fully glazed ground floor containing living spaces.The black home was designed by architects Eugenio Simonetti and Bastian San Martin to immerse the residents in the forest during the summer months while providing a cosy retreat in winter.Find out more about KW House Photo by Schnepp RenouReciprocal House, UK, by Gianni Botsford ArchitectsLocal practice Gianni Botsford Architects replaced an 1860s coach house in London with a four-storey home designed to complement an existing high-tech extension, which was created by Norman Foster's studio in 1968.Named Reciprocal House, Gianni Botsford Architects' design has a trapezoidal shape made from aluminium and concrete, informed by the material palette in Foster's extension.Find out more about Reciprocal House Photo by Niveditaa GuptaThe Light House, India, by SJK ArchitectsOpenable wooden shuttersthat evoke traditionalperforated screens known as jaalis wrap The Light House, a multi-generational home in Nagpur by Indian studioSJK Architects.The five-storey home features a central atrium and perimeter balconies that are sheltered by the dark Accoya pinewood screens.Find out more about The Light House Photo by Maria MissagliaEstancia San Jos, Spain, by Atelier du Pont and Aru ArquitecturaParis-basedAtelier du Pont collaborated with Menorca-based Aru Arquitectura to transform dilapidated farm buildings in the Menorcan countryside into asummer home.The renovated four-bedroom house has a rustic appearance that the studios contrasted with contemporary details such as pivoting doors and a yellow-tiled kitchen.Find out more about Estancia San Jos Photo by Alex Shoots BuildingsHouse of Seven Floors, Czech Republic, by Mal ChmelA conventional exterior conceals the exposed concrete rooms in House of Seven Floors, a family home in theCzech Republicdesigned by local studio Mal Chmel.It was designed to encourage the family's children to play and explore, with rooms stepped and staggered across multiple levels in the home's polygonal plan.Find out more about House of Seven Floors The post Dezeen's top five houses of January 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.

Here's what we looked at this week:LMD: A new, less wasteful metal 3D printing technique by Meltio.A manufacturing gamechanger: Danish company Adapa has developed adaptive molds, eliminating the need for permanent tooling.ThermoTraks: A smart, low-tech design for a garage door track that offers a better seal.A nifty, terrifying design for a folding axe. The Pulli Bin rethinks the UX of the kitchen garbage can.The Esch 22 Space Station, by architecture firm 2001 TBSI, is a trailer with an inflatable 6-person sleeping dome.The Avvenire Combat is an electric motorcycle that can be convertedinto a snowmobile.FlyFrames are eyewear with no arms (temples), which I believe will introduce a UX hassle.The Hino Profia: A tractor trailer with four-wheel steering!Better UX design for a helmet with a protective facemask.The perfect gift for Cobra Commander: A wristwatch with a mechanical snake that circumnavigates the dial.A Carabiner Battery. (Surely at some point, we will run out of objects that can feature carabiners.)UX design details: The evolution of this bit holder, and its remaining flaw.The CNC Pro is a portable mill for concrete and stone applications.Industrial design firm Goodwin Hartshorn designs an anti-splash urinal.Better UX for barbecue grills: Monument Grills' burner knobs indicate temperature using color.A much smarter, pivoting design for wheelbarrow handles.Industrial design case study: Sprout streamlines outdoor decorative lighting.

Mini PCs are back in fashion, probably thanks to Apples hard push for the Mac mini and the new Mac Studio boxes. With more advanced hardware, these small desktops have become quite capable these days, sometimes supporting even a bit of gaming if you keep your expectations low. At the very least, they are well-suited not just for regular computer work but also for some media streaming and content consumption on the side.With this market getting more crowded, its not really surprising to see a few unique designs pop up out of nowhere. Some simply carry an unusual aesthetic, often appealing to fans of cyberpunk themes, while others dare to explore new ground like modular designs. Still, others seem to be content with adding odd features just for the sake of turning heads, even when it might not make that much sense in actual use.Designer: KidwantsAlthough some now have unconventional shapes, including pyramids and cylinders, the most common shape for a mini PC is a box. Its space efficient both inside and out, so you can easily cram it almost anywhere or even hide it from view. The KN1 mini PC, however, isnt meant to be hidden since its biggest gimmick is the top of the box which is actually a giant touchpad.Yes, this mini PC is telling you to pinch, swipe, and tap its top just as you would on, say a laptop. In theory, this would mean that you only need to connect an external display and a keyboard to use this computer, removing the need for a mouse. Suggested use cases include controlling playback if youre using it as a home entertainment center, or controlling presentations in a meeting.In practice, however, the feature is pretty pointless and even counterproductive. Given the height of the mini PC and where youd place it on your desk, it would hardly be comfortable, much less ergonomic, to use it this way. And if youll be hooking it up to your TV, chances are you have it placed somewhere out of reach anyway. And can you even imagine touching that surface and only burning yourself because the mini PC has become too hot to touch?In terms of specs, the KN1 isnt exactly that noteworthy either, as what youd expect from a cheap mini PC from an unknown brand. And cheap it is, at only $110, though you might be better off spending that money more wisely elsewhere. A built-in touchpad on a mini PC might sound interesting at first brush, but its definitely a case of designing something just for the sake of being different, without offering actual value to the user.The post Mini PC with touchpad top should be a cautionary tale for designers first appeared on Yanko Design.

Dubbed the Mo.2 675 Highline, this tiny home was designed by UK-based Mooble House and employs a thoughtfully planned strategy for downsizing. Measuring a compact 22 feet, the home is built on a double-axle trailer. It features a single-story design with a flexible layout that allows the bed to be stored within a wall. The exterior is a blend of wood and metal with a metal roof, while the interior is arranged on one level for easy flow.The Mo.2 67 Highline is a prime specimen of efficient design, and it is also part of a larger movement to embrace a minimal and sustainable lifestyle. Tiny homes have been gaining traction since they serve as affordable and eco-friendly living spaces without compromising on comfort. Mooble House integrates these principles by carefully selecting materials that are both robust and sustainable, like the durable wood used for the Mo.2 675 Highline.Designer: Mooble HouseWhat sets this home apart are its two entrances. The main entrance opens directly into a light-filled living room, enhanced by generous glazing and a skylight that adds an elegant touch. This space includes a sofa with integrated storage. Nearby is a home office area with a desk that doubles as a dining table. The kitchen is adjacent and basic but equipped with essentials, including a sink, fridge, and electric cooktop, along with cabinetry. Theres also room for additional appliances and a folding countertop extension for extra food preparation space.Adjacent to the kitchen, youll find the bathroom, which has a compact size but efficient design. Mooble House has incorporated a flushing toilet, a shower, and a small sink much like those found in a campervan. These features maximize space without compromising on functionality.At the opposite end of the home, across from the living room, lies the bedroom. This bedroom has its own entrance and is equipped with an ample amount of headroom, allowing residents to stand comfortably since the house has a single-floor layout. During the day, the bedroom can be used as a versatile open space, perfect for activities like exercise or relaxation. At night, a Murphy-style folding double bed can be pulled down from the wall, allowing the room to function as a bedroom. There is also a cleverly integrated storage space above the bed, offering a practical solution for keeping personal items organized and out of sight.The Mo.2 675 Highline is quite economical and currently up for sale at around US$43,500. Compared to other models on the market, the Mo.2 675 Highline is quite appealing with its dual entrances and integrated storage solutions. These features, along with competitive pricing at around $43,500, make it a compelling choice for those looking to embrace a minimalist lifestyle in style.The post This 22-ft-long Tiny Home Offers Versatile, Space-Saving and Eco-Friendly Living In A Tiny Package first appeared on Yanko Design.