The houses slightly canted form, clay shingle cladding, and abundant landscaping with native plants nod to the neighbourhood context of century-old brick homes.PROJECT Ulster House, Toronto, OntarioARCHITECT LGA Architectural PartnersPHOTOS Doublespace PhotographyWalking past the corner of Ulster and Lippincott, you might mistake the building tucked behind a mature, blue spruce for a thoughtfully designed three-storey single-family house in the neighbourhood. A relaxed garden spills over the edges of the property, alive with pollinators, giving the impression that its been there for yearsrooted and full of character. The house itself is contemporary yet quiet in its presence, woven into the Harbord Village fabric like a good neighbour: calm, gentle, and human.Despite its appearance, Ulster House is not a single-family homeits a five-plex, with two units sharing the upper floors, a ground floor unit, a laneway dwelling, and a basement apartment. It is the result of years of advocacy and experimentation, rethinking Torontos most ubiquitous housing typologythe single-family infill homeas a multi-unit urban dwelling. This small condominium is architects Janna Levitt and Dean Goodmans prototype for dense housing, done differently.Each unit in the development has its own front door. The two upper units, entered from Ulster Street, include private, open-air patios that are framed into the top level of the building.The imperative of good designUrban densification is no longer a choice, but a necessity. With rising populations, housing shortages, and our intensifying climate crisis, how we design our homes and communities is increasingly critical. Buildings account for over 40% of global carbon emissions, positioning architecture as both a major contributor to the problemand potential part of the solution.Designed by Levitt and Goodman, founding principals of LGA Architectural Partners, Ulster House is an example of this pursuit by individual architects to make a tangible impact. The project pioneers sustainable ways of living and sets a precedent for buildings to contribute positively at scales larger than their own footprint.PlansBuilding the missing middleAs a five-unit condominium, Ulster House addresses Torontos missing middlethe critical range of housing types between single-family homes and high-rises. This category, defined in the citys 2030 Housing Action Plan, is crucial for alleviating both the current housing crisis and the climate crisis. Its the middle ground where affordability and sustainability intersect, where families are not priced out. Ulster House revives the kind of multi-family housing that once defined this neighbourhood, where immigrant families would share homes and multi-generational living was the norm, creating a sense of belonging in the urban sprawl. Today, however, restrictive zoning laws and smaller family sizes dominate. Low-density single-family zoning covers 70% of Torontos buildable land. Ulster House disrupts that norm while continuing to offer an adaptable structure through simple stick-frame construction that allows renovation, change, and growth. It shows how families may stay rooted in their neighbourhood, even as their needs evolve.Architects Janna Levitt and Dean Goodman occupy the main floor unit and laneway suite as their residence.Serving as both their own home and a demonstration project, Ulster House builds on lessons from Levitt and Goodmans former residence. Their Euclid House (2006) tested compact footprints and flexible living options, and introduced Torontos first residential green roof. All architecture must contribute to good city-building, says Levitt. What youre doing has to add up to be bigger than the project itself. Goodman and Levitt are not only the designers, owners, and residents of Ulster Housethey are also the developers, shifting the paradigm of a ruthless profit-maximizing profession to one where the design decisions are driven by the ambitions of the owners as citizens.Ulster House harmonizes with the neighbourhoods existing scale while introducing density that feels human and livable. The handmade, electric-fired clay shingle cladding, warm to the eye, recalls the textures and tones of the surrounding brick. Sloped roofsdesigned to house photo-voltaics for an all-electric HVAC systemecho the homes around it, subtly reinforcing the communitys character. A layered landscaping of native plants and deadwood logs, designed by Lorraine Johnson and selected in accordance with permaculture principles, creates a biodiverse retreat amidst the urban fabric. A sumach screen offers a verdant alternative to the ubiquitous wood fence, softly defining private outdoor space.Each unit features a dedicated ground-floor entrance, connecting directly to the street. Large glass entry doors with transom windows, framed by vertical stained cedar planks, are sheltered by overhangs. This transparency fosters a sense of trust with the surrounding context, striking a delicate balance between privacy and connection.A trellis-covered courtyard with a sauna made from a reclaimed shipping container serves as a three-season outdoor extension of their living space.A courtyard at the heartThe architects currently occupy two of the unitsthe ground floor of the main home, which houses their kitchen and living spaces, and the laneway unit, almost bunkie-like, across a courtyard. Clad in Yakisugi (charred) cedar, the laneway house contains a bedroom, a bathroom, and a home studio that also functions as the library and guest room. Goodman and Levitts daily routine involves traversing the courtyard that connects their sleeping spaces with their living spacesa continual communion with the seasons. This experimental design tests the limits and possibilities of outdoor living in Torontos climate, where such a routine is otherwise uncommon. The stone walkway, nominally heat traced for winter, is sheltered by a wood trellis and clear acrylic covering, providing partial protection from the elements.An outdoor dining area connects the ground floor and laneway suite.In a recent interview, Egyptian architect Abdelwahed El-Wakil describes the courtyard as the open living room, and the soul of the house. He speaks of the courtyard as a kind of aperture, a soft-edged threshold that draws us back toward the natural world we have so distanced ourselves from. Reflecting on his own home in Agami, Egypt, centered around a courtyard with a small fountain and windcatcher, El-Wakil highlights the timeless principles of daylight, passive ventilation, and harmony with the sun we all share.The laneway suites bedroom adjoins the ground-floor courtyard.Despite the cold Canadian winters, Goodman and Levitt have always embraced these same principles. Walking through the courtyard, or looking out from the living and dining rooms in the main house immediately connects us to the seasons, the weather, and a landscape, shares Goodman, attributing their enhanced quality of life to a deepened relationship with nature. Its centering, and is the reciprocal element to the constructed world.The path between the two also serves as a three-season exterior workshop area and is lined on one side with a cedar storage wall containing, in part, Goodmans woodworking tools. A 10-foot shipping container, converted by Goodman into a sauna, provides warmth and purpose during colder months. The natural ventilation is luxurious, notes Levitt, when describing the sensation of air and light flowing through the home from the courtyard. Yet the integration of the courtyard offers more than such comforts. It embodies a philosophical shift: that our response to climate change must include a rethinking of human comfort, and of our relationship to nature.Meticulous detailing characterizes the project, including in the wood cladding throughout the laneway suite.The craft of compact livingFor the two upper units, open-to-sky outdoor terraces extend the buildings living areas, offloading interior functions while maintaining a sense of openness. These areas ease the compact footprints of the leasable units, inviting natural light and ventilation and reducing reliance on conditioned spaces. The buildings cohesive massing, unbroken by projecting balconies or expansive glass, maintains a robust enclosure, and retains its intimate residential character.The project as a whole is anchored by passive design principles and detailed studies of embodied and operational carbon emissions. The architects evaluated the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the development against the Architecture2030 challenge, which calls for a 40% reduction in carbon emissions compared to industry standards. This analysis prompted key adjustments, including replacing steel framing with wood and decreasing the quantity of cement in concrete components. Such decisions reduced the buildings GWP by almost half, surpassing their targeted benchmark. For the architects, these results reinforced the value of integrating carbon accounting early in the design process.Perhaps most impactful is the overall concept of designing livable, efficient spaces within a compact footprint, reducing overall building materials and ongoing operational energy needs. Compact spaces require thoughtful design. The architects describe their material choices as elevated but pleasant to the touch, as is evident in the kitchen, where stainless steel countertops provide a tactile contrast to warm wood finishes that replace drywall to further reduce embodied emissions. The bunkie follows the same philosophy: wood throughout, with the exception of an elegantly crafted bathroom wrapped seamlessly with sea-green mosaic tiles.The tile-clad bathroom opens on to a pocket garden.Walking the walk: a precedent for urban livingMany of the outcomes of the Ulster House were hard-won, requiring the creation of a typology, advocacy for zoning variances, and adaptation to permitting requirements. The bunkies narrow pocket gardenthe result of laneway setback requirementsis just one example of how Levitt and Goodmans thoughtful design maximized even the most constrained possibilities.Aligning authorities and consultants with the vision took time, and delays were frequent. But each challenge only reinforced the architects belief that a different kind of housing was not only possible, but long overdue. Since the project was first proposed, changes to as of right conditions for small multi-unit buildings, development charges, and financing options (such as loans and lines of credit) have made buildings like Ulster House more feasible. However, legislation such as Bill 212, the removal of bike lanes, and the extended delays of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, puts into question the provincial governments position on good city-building.Ulster House offers an exciting glimpse of what gentle densification might look like in our cities: an urban future that embraces creativity, sustainability, and a redefined connection to the natural world. For architects who continually push the boundaries of whats possible, a project like this becomes a living testament, showing skeptical clients an alternative, improved way of living. Ulster House sets a high bar, asking architects, city planners, and community members alike to think beyond their projects immediate footprints, and challenging us all to become better city builders.Jaliya Fonseka is the principal of Fonseka Studio and an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, at the University of Waterloo, where he teaches in the architecture and architectural engineering programs. He leads with community-oriented scholarship, investigating topics of home, belonging, and climate.CLIENTJanna Levitt and Dean Goodman | ARCHITECT TEAM Dean Goodman (MRAIC), Kara Burman, Andria Fong, Megan Cassidy, Joshua Giovinazzo | STRUCTURAL Blackwell Engineering | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL RDZ Engineers | LANDSCAPE Lorraine Johnson, Native Plant Consultant | INTERIORS LGA Architectural Partners | CIVIL Blue Grove Engineering Group Inc. | BUILDING ENVELOPE RDH | ACOUSTICS Thornton Tomasetti | CONTRACTOR Desar Construction Studio inc. | AREA 322 m2 (Condos) + 56 m2 (Laneway suite) | BUDGET $4 M | COMPLETION 2023As appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post Building in the Missing Middle: Ulster House, Toronto, Ontario appeared first on Canadian Architect.

When you yell Can you just Google it? at your AI assistant, its fair to say that the AI assistant is not doing its job.I was browning some beef on the stove and trying to determine when my husbands flight was landing. I didnt have the flight number, but there are only so many direct flights between Detroit and Seattle in a day. So I long-pressed the power button on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and asked Googles Gemini assistant to find the information for me. It said it couldnt. So I insisted loudly to just Google it, plus or minus an expletive. It couldnt even do that, so I went to Google myself and had the answer in seconds. AI, everybody.8Verge ScoreSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra$1299$1299The GoodExcellent screenImproved ultrawide cameraRounded corners are comfierThe BadExpensiveBulkyAI is (still) hit or missHow we rate and review productsThis wouldnt matter except AI smarts are supposed to be the big deal with this phone. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a barely warmed-over version of last years device, with some lightly bumped specs and ever-so-slight design changes. Thats fine! The S24 Ultra was a great piece of hardware, and the S23 Ultra was, too. Samsung didnt need to reinvent the wheel. But it means the company is relying on these Galaxy AI features plus some help from Gemini to give the S25 Ultra that new-phone zhuzh. And despite all its sparkle, Galaxy AI isnt up to the task.More than anything, Samsung has lost the plot on what makes this Ultra phone ultra. The Ultra used to and kind of still is the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink phone. It has the stylus, the big screen, all the cameras, and just about every other souped-up spec you could think of. But over the past few years, Samsung just hasnt found a way to make this phone any more special. In fact, its gotten just a little bit less special, if anything. The S24 Ultra downgraded the 10x zoom to a 5x, which is just okay at 10x, despite Samsungs claims its just as good. The S25 Ultra downgrades the smart stylus into a dumb one without Bluetooth connectivity and air control features. I wouldnt have a problem with that if those things had been sacrificed for some other compelling feature. But I cant see whats been added, and at $1,299, this is one of the most expensive phones you can buy that doesnt fold in half. Dont get me wrong, its a damn good phone. But I think at that price, its fair to ask for just a little more.Software and AISamsung introduced us to the concept of Galaxy AI last year, which includes some proprietary features like writing tools, note summarization, call translation, and wacky photo editing tools. This year, it places a new assistant front and center: Googles Gemini. Bixby is still around in a supporting role, but Gemini is the default helper youll get when you long-press the wake button. With the S25 series, Gemini can take action across multiple apps for you including in Gmail and Calendar and a bunch of Samsungs native apps. This was the function I was most excited to try on the S25 Ultra, but its an Android feature coming to many other phones, too.RIP, Bixby.The results were mixed. I asked it to put an event on my calendar based on what was on my phone screen, and it did it. Date, time, location were all correct. It felt kind of magical, which I realize is a very low bar for magic. Other results were less impressive. If I asked it to generate a list of five videos to watch on a particular topic and add them to a note, it only added the headline text even when I prompted it to add them as hyperlinks. The other problem is, AI makes shit up a lot. I asked it to find a specific recipe for an espresso martini on YouTube and add the ingredients to a note. It appeared to follow directions by pulling up the video I referenced, and the ingredients seemed like they might be in an espresso martini. But they were totally different from what was featured in the video. I tried to ask it about details of a flight leaving from San Francisco, and even though I had it reference my confirmation email, it kept insisting that my flight was leaving from San Jose. It makes you think twice about relying on AI for anything but the lowest of low-stakes tasks!Samsung has also integrated AI features here and there across the OS. A prominent AI feature called Now Brief offers summaries of your activities throughout the day and supposedly surfaces relevant information based on your calendar and location. Its on the homescreen by default and pops up on the lockscreen when a new one is available. I find it to be mostly useless. It kept showing political news headlines that I dont want to be bombarded with in the middle of the day, so I turned those off. Gemini kept insisting that my flight was leaving from San JoseNone of this is unique to the Galaxy S25 Ultra or even the S25 series. These AI features which occupied most of Samsungs Unpacked presentation introducing these phones will very likely come to previous Galaxy phones later this year. I love to see older phones get new features. But it also makes it very hard to see what sets the S25 Ultra apart from the rest of the S25 series or even the other Android competition. Theres also a strong possibility that Samsung will start charging for these features at the end of 2025; Samsungs fine print only guarantees that theyll be free through the end of 2025. Dont be surprised if your AI phone suddenly comes with an AI subscription fee.The S25 series ships with One UI 7.0, a significant update to Samsungs Android skin. Its also a particularly iOS-y update, most notably with split quick settings and notification shades and a Dynamic Island-like Now Bar with time-sensitive information. I dont think its a particularly bad influence, and you can undo or tweak many of these changes. I appreciate the ability to put all my apps on one page in the app tray so I dont have to scroll between multiple pages, like on other Android phones. Theres a time to do your own thing and theres a time to just follow the crowd.Hardware and cameraSamsung took another good cue from Apple with the S25 Ultras new shape. The previous couple of Ultra phones had a boxy shape that paid tribute to the Note series. But those pointed corners were sharp and made the phone uncomfortable to hold. This year, Samsung ditched what was left of the Note styling and adopted curved corners like the rest of the S series.The S25 Ultra is less Note-like, but its also less painful to hold.The Ultra also loses what was left of its curved edges in favor of straight sides that make it easier to pick up. Theyre subtle changes, but they do make the S25 Ultra more comfortable to hold and use, at the expense of looking like every other modern smartphone from the front. I think its a net positive. Id rather have a comfortable phone than a unique-looking one that digs into my palm. The Ultra uses an updated Gorilla Armor 2 protective layer on its screen. Its supposed to withstand drops onto concrete better than the previous version, which I didnt test in my time with the phone. But I can say its scratch-resistance has held up well to a week of abuse, and the screens antireflective coating makes it one of the easiest phones to use in direct sunlight. But that was also true of the S24 Ultra. The S25 Ultra, like the S25 and S25 Plus, uses a version of Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset thats specially tuned for Galaxy phones. I used the 8 Elite in the OnePlus 13 and couldnt tell you any notable difference in performance between the two. Everyday tasks ran smoothly on the 8 Elite. The phone crashed and restarted itself in one instance, which was a little unusual, but I havent seen anything else like that in the week Ive been using it. This years S Pen loses its Bluetooth functionality.Battery life is about par for a flagship smartphone in 2025. I usually got through an average day with 60 percent or so left over. Good, but not amazing. The S25 series is Qi2 Ready, which means it supports the latest wireless charging standard but only with a special magnetic case it doesnt have magnets built into the phone. Its a fair compromise since most people will put their phone in a case and never take it off, but its a bummer for the case-averse like me.The S25 Ultra still has an S Pen, but Samsung removed Bluetooth features that allowed you to use the stylus like a magic wand. Samsung says few people used those features, and on balance, its no great loss. But its the principle more than anything that stings.Samsungs portrait mode is still one of the best out there.The cameras on the S25 Ultra are unchanged with one exception: a new 50-megapixel ultrawide. Samsungs claim that it performs better in low light seems to hold up I can see more fine detail in shots from the new camera compared to the ultrawide on the S24 Ultra. Likewise, the new ultrawide probably helped by a wider f/1.9 aperture allows the system to use lower ISOs to get the same level of brightness in a shot, which helps keep noise down, too. Its definitely an upgrade; is it one that Ultra owners were clamoring for? Im less sure about that.A video still from the S24 Ultra shows less fine detail.This still from the S25 Ultra shows much better detail in the subjects sweatshirt and face.Samsungs other notable claim is that its low-light video processing has been improved to better distinguish between moving and static subjects, in theory allowing for smarter application of noise reduction. I cant say this is anything Ive had a particular complaint about on past Galaxy phones, but low-light video is still a challenge for any mobile camera.And it appears to be working: in side-by-side video clips with the S24 Ultra, I can clearly see more fine detail from the S25 Ultra, particularly in dim indoor lighting. It isnt a paradigm shift, but progress is progress. Otherwise, the S25 Ultras images look very much like what Ive come to expect from Samsung. This camera loves its vibrant reds and blues, and portrait mode segmentation is still some of the best in the game. Still something special for now.The Galaxy S25 Ultra remains one of the best phones you can buy. The screen is excellent, the cameras are some of the best in the game, and youll have a hard time finding any workload tough enough to challenge it. Thats all been true of the last few Ultra phones, and its true of this one. But I think theres something intangible that the Ultra has been losing over the past couple of generations. You can buy the Galaxy S25 Plus or the Pixel 9 Pro if you just want a good Android phone. The reason to buy a Galaxy S-series Ultra is because you dont want something thats just good; you want something thats special. This phone feels a little less special than the S24 Ultra did, which felt a little less special than the S23 Ultra. Complaining about the specialness of a phone would be silly for any other phone. But this is the Ultra! Doesnt that mean something? It used to come with a 10x telephoto camera and a stylus that worked like a magic wand. It used to look strikingly different from the rest of the S series, or any other phone, for that matter. Some of these changes have been for the better, but Samsung hasnt made up for what its cutting. For now, the S25 Ultra still feels like something special. But if the trend continues, then the Ultra could become just another big phone.Photography by Allison Johnson / The VergeAgree to Continue: Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraEvery smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it contracts that no one actually reads. Its impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit agree to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people dont read and definitely cant negotiate.To use the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, you must agree to:Samsungs Terms and ConditionsSamsungs Privacy PolicyGoogles Terms of Service (including Privacy Policy)Google Plays Terms of ServiceAutomatic installs (including from Google, Samsung, and your carrier)There are many optional agreements. If you use a carrier-specific version, there will be more of them. Here are just a few:Sending diagnostic data to SamsungSamsung services, including auto blocker, customization service, continuity service, nearby device scanning, personal data intelligence, and smart suggestionsGoogle Drive backup, location services, Wi-Fi scanning, diagnostic dataBixby privacy policy (required to use Bixby), plus optional for Bixby options like personalized content, data access, and audio recording reviewThere may be more. For example, Samsungs Weather app also has its own privacy policy that may include sharing information with Weather.com.Final tally: there are five mandatory agreements and at least 10 optional ones.See More:

Key resources for environmental data and public health have already been taken down from federal websites, and more could soon vanish as the Trump administration works to scrap anything that has to do with climate change, racial equity, or gender identity.Warnings floated on social media Friday about an impending purge at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), spurring calls to save as much data as soon as possible. The CDC shares data on a wide range of topics, from chronic diseases to traffic injuries, tobacco use, vaccinations, and pregnancies in the US and its just one of the agencies in the crosshairs. The CDCs main data portal, which housed much of those datasets, was offline by Friday night. Data.CDC.gov is temporarily offline in order to comply with Executive Order 14168 Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government a notice on the webpage says, adding that it will become available again once its in compliance with the executive order.Researchers have been archiving government websites for monthsFortunately, researchers have been archiving government websites for months. This is typical with every change in administration, but there was even more imperative with the return of Donald Trump to office. Access to as much as 20 percent of the Environmental Protection Agencys website was removed during the first round of Trumps deregulatory spree. And now, it seems, similar moves are happening fast.The CDCs social vulnerability index and environmental justice index tools that could show whether particular populations might face disproportionate health risks have both been taken offline within the past week. In 2007, during the Bush administration, social scientists, geographers, and statisticians started developing the social vulnerability index (SVI), which incorporated demographic and socioeconomic factors including poverty, race, and ethnicity over the years. The Biden administration launched the environmental justice index (EJI) in 2022. Too many communities across our nation, particularly low-income communities and communities of color, continue to bear the brunt of pollution. Meeting the needs of these communities requires our focused attention and we will use the Environmental Justice Index to do just that, then Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a press release at the time.Since stepping into office, Trump has tried to undo previous administrations work to address health disparities when it comes to race and gender. In an executive order Trump signed to undo Biden-era policies, the president wrote that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has corrupted government institutions. He also claimed that climate extremism has exploded inflation and overburdened businesses with regulation. During his first term in office, there was a near 40 percent decline in the term climate change across websites for federal environmental agencies. Its too soon to know what the damage might be this time around, but some webpages have already vanished. The US Department of Transportations priorities website has removed pages on both climate and sustainability and equity. It follows an internal memo sent this week instructing USDOT operating administrations to identify and ultimately terminate Biden-era activities relating to climate change and DEI.Donald Trumps efforts to limit foreign aid seem to have also led to information being taken down on HIV and AIDS. The data webpage for the US Presidents Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) was taken down this week. PEPFAR has been around since 2003 and helped more than 20.6 million people get access to antiretroviral therapy in 2024 alone, according to a snapshot of the website taken by the Wayback Machine on January 26th, before it was taken down.The End of Term Web Archive project has saved content on federal government websites during every presidential transition since 2008. The Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI) that formed after Trump was first elected also documents changes to government websites and works to make archived datasets available elsewhere. It has backed up data from the CDCs Social Vulnerability Index and Environmental Justice Index and shared it on a webpage for The Public Environmental Data Project.Yet even if these datasets have been archived, they arent as helpful when they arent updated. Any dataset has a lifespan of utility, says Dan Pisut, senior principal engineer at GIS software company Esri. Aging datasets might not fully represent whats actually happening on the ground, so people have to be careful about how they use them, Pisut points out. It could be risky, he says, but better than nothing.Update, February 1st: This post has been updated with information about data.cdc.gov going offline.See More:

The Nintendo Switch 2 is right around the corner, and after eight years on the market, its hard to call the first Nintendo Switch anything else but a massive success. Sure, it might lack the horsepower of a new Xbox or PlayStation, but the hybrid functionality, innovative feedback of the Joy-Con controllers, and massive library of Nintendo classics and third-party ports has made it the preferred console for millions of people around the world.Theres a little something for everyone in the Nintendo Switch library, especially if youre looking for a challenge. Between new games with cranked up difficulty, and old favorites known for their high difficulty that have been ported to the system, these are the 15 hardest Nintendo Switch games.15. IkarugaOriginally released for arcades in 2001, time has not made Ikaruga any easier, and the Switch port doesnt include any modern additions to reduce the difficulty. This is pure bullet hell with a still-innovative polarity system. At any time, you can change the polarity of your ship to white or black and absorb bullets of that color to power up a special attack. But get hit by a bullet of the wrong color, and youll lose a ship.It sounds like a simple concept, but when the bullets start flying, Ikaruga can be frustratingly difficult until you learn all of its patterns. Beating its five stages is still an impressive accomplishment for any gamer, especially if you can do it without losing a life.14. Super Mario Maker 2There are really two games in Super Mario Maker 2. The first is story mode, a challenging, but not terribly difficult collection of levels developed by Nintendo that most Mario veterans will be able to beat after a few days with a fairbut not terribly excessivenumber of deaths.Then theres the online mode where sadists have gone out of their way to create the most ridiculously difficult platforming levels ever devised, and that less than one percent of players can actually beat in some cases. May God have mercy on your soul if you decide to venture into this mode and actually try to complete some of these levels.13. HadesLike any roguelike, difficulty in Hades largely comes down to a combination of practice and luck, but Hades also introduces some quirks that make it one of the more difficult titles in the genre. First, to truly beat the game and see the credits, youll have to defeat the final boss not once, not twice, but a whopping 10 times, a feat that will take most players dozens of hours.But after defeating Hades the first time, you can manually increase the difficulty for extra rewards. Some of these modifiers increase the number of enemies or how bosses attack to the point that initially the developers thought the hardest difficulty was impossible to beat until one player finally managed to pull it off and posted it online.12. Dark Souls: RemasteredWhere would a list about hard games be without an appearance from Dark Souls? The Switch version isnt drastically different from any of the other versions released since 2011, except you can now die a lot while on the go. This is essentially the same game weve been playing since the PS3 era, with all of its sometimes cheap enemies and occasionally confusing level design meant to beat you down.The only reason Dark Souls ranks low on the list is that by now there are also plenty of guides online that will tell you how to cheese it to power up early and easily beat the most difficult bosses. But if you go into it blind, this is still one of the most difficult games around.11. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD RemasterLongtime Shin Megami Tensei players will tell you that the games actually arent that difficult. The problem is, that view really only comes from experience. If you go into Shin Megami Tensei III blind, you will almost definitely die a lot, even on normal difficulty.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Kind of like Dark Souls, theres just a lot here the game doesnt tell you about fusing demons and shoring up your partys weaknesses. Once you get a grasp on the games mechanics and are able to properly prepare for battles, its not too bad, but most gamers will tell you their first encounter with the series was anything but easy.Another beloved roguelike, Dead Cells took a lot of cues from Dark Souls, but just moved the action to 2D. With that kind of inspiration, you have a pretty good idea of what the difficulty is going to be like. While its an overall fantastic game, what gets frustrating about Dead Cells is just how random and downright unfair it can be.Youll get a good run going, and some strong equipment so you can start dominating everything in your path. Then the game will randomly throw out a brand new boss youve never seen before who crushes you in about 10 seconds, promptly ending your run.9. Darkest DungeonYou know how we said above that Shin Megami Tensei III can at least be beaten with proper planning? Darkest Dungeon takes that one advantage away with its procedurally-generated dungeons. You might think your party is ready for whats ahead, but if the game throws something way overpowered at you, youre going to be dead, or maybe worse, insane.Darkest Dungeons most unique feature is its stress level. If your party is stressed by too much darkness, lack of food, or blights from enemies, theyll stop listening to you, or they might even have a heart attack. Having to deal with the effects of stress makes Darkest Dungeon much more difficult than the typical RPG.8. ThumperThe developers of Thumper describe it as a rhythm violence game. A few minutes of gameplay make it clear what exactly that means. You play as a space beetle flying along a track, trying to keep rhythm with the music, while also dodging obstacles and defeating enemies.Like many great rhythm games, Thumpers difficulty starts out reasonably paced, but each level number corresponds with a time signature, and the later levels get so extreme that even the most seasoned veterans of other rhythm titles will have trouble keeping up.7. Baba is YouBaba is You remains a wholly unique puzzle game that will make you question your intelligence over the course of more than 400 levels. In each one screen stage, youre confronted with several word tiles you need to arrange in order to reach the goal. That can start off as simple as arranging the term flag is win, but the difficulty quickly spirals.Once you dive further into the game, its easy to fall into terms that will quickly break a level by changing the nature of your character, or the world itself. And the purpose of words in later levels gets much vaguer, resulting in an experience that can be more frustrating than fun.6. Donkey Kong Country Returns HDDonkey Kong Country Returns HD is technically the newest release to make it onto the list since it just came out in January of this year, but its also a port of a 2010 Wii game, making it one of the older games on this list. The difficulty also depends quite a bit on which mode you choose to play. Modern mode allows for Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong to share six hearts between them, and there are plenty of power ups available, making it a challenging, but not impossible game to get through.But if you play in classic mode, youre in for a rough time. With only four hearts between the Kongs, and fewer power ups, Donkey Kong Country Returns numerous mine cart and barrel levels will test all of your platforming skills, and not everyone will make it to the credits.5. Metroid DreadWhile Metroid Dread received an update with an easier difficulty mode after release, it initially shipped with only a normal and hard difficulty selectable, and even normal difficulty was pretty damn hard. Much of the challenge comes from the changes to the classic Metroid formula. In tense stealth sections, Samus faces the new EMMI robot enemies, initially with no way of defeating them, and only a brief window to escape when they catch her. Those parts of the game, which sometimes involve complex control combinations, can be tough, even when you acquire a weapon to take down these deadly enemies.Then there are the tricky boss fights, which forced many gamers to give up before the final cutscene. In particular, the final boss, a demanding three-stage fight that requires almost perfect timing to overcome, may be the most difficult in the entire franchise.4. Super Meat BoySuper Meat Boy is another title that was originally released elsewhere long before its Switch debut, but that still hasnt been watered down for casual tastes. Super Meat Boy has some of the tightest platforming controls around, but that doesnt do anything to ease the difficulty.In each of its more than 300 levels, there are just so many obstacles that need to be so precisely evaded, it takes real skills to see the game through to the end. While the game gets really freaking hard in the later levels, its just addicting enough that youll likely do everything you can to see the finale.3. CelesteCeleste is another ultra-difficult platform in the same vein as Super Meat Boy. The game requires absolute mastery of its jumping, dashing, and climbing mechanics if you plan to see it to the end, but dont expect that to be a quick journey. Its not uncommon to see posts on forums about players dying hundreds of times on a single level.Celeste does feature a highly customizable assist mode that can provide you with lowered game speed, unlimited dashes, or even invincibility, but without that its a real chore to get through the challenging B-side and C-side levels, or gather all the games collectibles.2. Hollow KnightHollow Knight has a wonderfully weird graphical style illustrating its subterranean insectoid world that no doubt lured many unsuspecting gamers in. While a traditional Metroidvania at its core, every part of this games difficulty is cranked up to the max. The dozens of tough bosses can end you quickly, and even a tough run in with a group of regular enemies might take you out.The most frustrating thing about Hollow Knight (though admittedly this feature has its fans as well) is that theres so little direction about where to go next, its very easy to go down a path youre not yet equipped to handle, and have all of your progress wiped out in an instant.First off, let us just say that we absolutely love Cupheads aesthetic. The game is a beautifully animated love letter to cartoons of the 1930s, with a jazz soundtrack youll be humming well after youve put the controller down. The run-and-gun gameplay is solid, too. Its just so damn hard.There are no real shortcuts to get past the numerous difficult bosses of Cuphead. You just need to learn their patterns, but then on top of that, develop the muscle memory to perfectly time parries and attacks. Theres a great feeling of accomplishment here if you actually do manage to beat the Devil, but not every gamer will be willing to put in the time to get there.

Like most other redos, horror movie remakes begin their journey on shaky ground. The name recognition that often gets them made is the same recognition that leads to them being judged before anyone watches. Its hard enough to make a good movie and get people to see it; imagine having to do so while battling the perception that your work diminishes the significance of another beloved movie?Yet the best horror movie remakes remind us that the existence of remakes is about more than lazy studios looking for cheap cash-ins. When done well, a horror movie remake can elevate the legacy of its inspiration while carving its own path. Some do this by being totally different while others emphasize elements of the original that always deserved more love. Each should remind us that the most powerful stories are often retold and reimagined throughout the ages.15. The Hills Have Eyes (2006)Fresh off the success of the twisted, ambitious, and ultimately uneven High Tension, director Alexandre Aja elected to get in on the thriving horror remake trend of the early 2000s by updating Wes Cravens grindhouse 1977 horror movie for the torture porn age. The initial reception to Ajas take on The Hills Have Eyes was well, mixed would be generous. Some saw it as a cash-in on tired trends more interested in disturbing viewers than capitalizing on the promise that Aja had previously demonstrated.Maybe some of thats true, but so far as remakes of that era go, The Hills Have Eyes deserves more love. For as groundbreaking as the original Hills Have Eyes once felt, its impact has been whittled away by years of movies that offered more shocks in more entertaining packages. In Ajas hands, this story of a family that ventures into the wrong part of the middle of nowhere feels more lively, yet still just as shocking. Its more of a restoration project, and an admirable one.14. Fright Night (2011)While this remake tragically sacrifices some of the campier, fun elements that helped make the 1985 original so special, its also one of those lost, overlooked gems that suffered from the stigma surrounding horror remakes following a prolonged run of especially bad ones being churned out by Hollywood in the late 2000s.Much like that 1985 movie, the 2011 Fright Night focuses on a young man who comes to suspect that his neighbor is a vampire. But its the little differences that set this one apart. The choice to set this on the outskirts of Las Vegas lends the movie a convincing sense of isolation and seediness that makes its premise that much more believable and contributes to its generally scarier nature. The cast (highlighted by Colin Farrell, David Tennant, and Toni Collette) is also one of the best in any horror movie of this era, with Farrells feral (heh), toxic male alpha vampire being a refreshing departure from Chris Sarandons worldly aristocrat.13. Cat People (1982)The original Cat People isnt just the best horror movie of the 1940s; its one of the greatest horror movies ever made. Its a genuinely creepy example of its era that packs some surprisingly powerful commentary about sexuality and identity. For his remake of that movie, director Paul Schraderas beloved as a purveyor of sleazy social commentary as the film world has ever knowndecided to turn Cat People into the kind of erotic horror thriller that gained popularity throughout the 80s.While not quite as brilliant as its inspiration, this reimagining of the Cat People story is a slick and twisted tale of desire that feels like it was filmed in some forgotten gimmicky filming process known as Sweat-O-Vision. Its an impossibly stylish tale of a womans struggles to live with a sexual curse set against the backdrop of the Big Easy and around a pitch-perfect David Bowie theme song.While not nearly as famous as another George Romero remake well soon be discussing, Tom Savinis 1990 remake of the original Night of the Living Dead has long been denied the love it deserves. Honestly, you rarely hear people talk about this film for good or bad.Thats a shame. Savinis obvious love for the original filmwhich he was supposed to work on before being drafted into the Vietnam Warencourages him to retain that movies claustrophobia and social nuances rather than completely alter that story for a more modern age. Yet Savini also knows when to zig rather than zag during iconic moments in ways that will surprise fans, all while still serving the story this remake is trying to tell. Not that this will come as a shock given the number of times Savini has been mentioned thus far, but the movies special effects are top-tier and rendered in full, glorious color.11. House of Wax (1953)The 2005 House of Wax remake has rightfully been reclaimed by Millennial viewers who ask that you look past the Paris Hilton of it all and recognize the movie as an effectively creepy bit of fun with more than a few 2000s guilty pleasures. That said, it cant hold a melting candle to this 1953 remake of Mystery of the Wax Museum.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Led by the irreplaceable Vincent Price, there is a Hammer Horror-like charm to this movie that makes much of its tragic, eerie, yet always watchable narrative a visual feast. Does it really need a prolonged scene of a man bouncing paddle balls toward the camera? No, but its status as the first fully-colorized 3D movie only adds to its charms.10. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) and Nosferatu (2024)The similarities between these two remakes are quite striking. Both see renowned directors (Werner Herzog, 1979 and Robert Eggers, 2024) get the chance to offer their interpretations of a foundational horror film that was, itself, a retelling of a story that the producers couldnt secure the rights to (Dracula). That each chose Nosferatu over Dracula (though Herzog incorporates more Dracula elements in his remake) speaks to what they saw in that original movie that ultimately made it unique and interesting.In both cases, these directors were clearly entranced by Nosferatus German Expressionist style, although neither particularly pursues an expressionistic style for their retelling. Still, each of their stunningly beautiful works uses the Nosferatu mythos as a canvas upon which they can paint some Gothic masterpieces that stand apart. While this writer prefers Herzogs interpretation of the material, both films successfully argue that Nosferatu is uniquely compelling enough to be considered more than Dracula without Dracula.9. Maniac (2012)1980s Maniac is mostly known for its incredible Tom Savini effects (hello again, Tom), iconic poster, and status as a movie that you are often dared to watch. Few asked for a Maniac remake, and fewer expected that remake to be much more than another stylish bit of violent exploitation made for the post-Hostel era.Yet director Franck Khalfoun and writers Grgory Levasseur and Alexandre Aja (hello again, Alexandre) had bigger ideas. Led by an incredible performance from Elijah Wood, this movie presents the life of a serial killer almost entirely from a first-person perspective. What should be a gimmick ends up being the most effective film of its kind since 1986s Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. This Maniac is certainly violent, but its most lasting horrors come from being forced to live in the mind of this deranged individual trying and failing to blend into the world.8. The Ring (2002)While there is a general stigma surrounding American remakes of international horror films, the truth of the matter is that such projects tend to vary wildly in quality rather than being the strictly inferior works that they are sometimes perceived as. Even still, the various J-horror remakes of the early 2000s never got better than this 2002 Gore Verbinski film.Fully aware that this remakes mere existence was going to be subject to scrutiny, Verbinski first committed to doing no harm to the source material. While his version is largely faithful to 1998s Ringu and the book that the original is based on, it distinguishes itself through its dreary Northwest noir style and slightly more substantial characters. The films scares are also so effectiveespecially that legendary shot of a corpse in a closetthat you probably forget this is a PG-13 horror movie.While it always pays to honor your source material in a remake, the most memorable remakes often carve their own path. Thats certainly what Zack Snyder did with his 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. With its sprinting zombies and simpler, more obvious social commentary, Snyders version of the people hunkering down in a mall during a zombie apocalypse scenario is a far cry from the original film in some notable ways.In other ways, though, Snyder did what Romero did with that 1978 classic: deliver a zombie film that feels representative of its time. Snyders Dawn of the Dead fits perfectly into an era when zombies were becoming video game cannon fodder and the source of survivalist fantasy scenarios. Its a genuinely intense action-oriented interpretation of the material aided by its witty yet brutal James Gunn screenplay. Snyder has also yet to top the brilliance of this films opening sequence.6. The Blob (1988)1958s The Blob movie is an incredibly charming relic of its era highlighted by the most unnecessaryand therefore very necessaryBurt Bacharach theme song in horror movie history. Its the ideal example of a type of horror movie meant to occasionally be glanced at while enjoying 50s-style makeout sessions at the drive-in.For their remake, director Chuck Russell and co-writer Frank Darabont decided to turn The Blob into an almost body horror-like experience that sees an apocalyptic-level event befall a small town. Its unbelievably gross thanks to some incredible special effects, impressively bleak, and yet somehow darkly funny in a way that makes it feel like a companion piece to the original. While considered tonally unusual in its day, The Blob has rightfully joined the canon of 80s horror classics.As the Evil Dead franchise evolved, it took on much more of that gonzo, high-energy style that director Sam Raimi became known for. As a consequence, much of the franchise has ended up being a far cry from the original Evil Dead; a truly terrifying indie horror movie with a mean streak. With this remake, director Fede Alvarez essentially takes the series back to its violent, unforgiving roots.Nothats not entirely true. With this movie, Alvarez takes The Evil Dead to unhinged places the series has rarely visited before. For most of its airtight 92-minute runtime, this movie deserves the title of another Alvarez horror film: Dont Breathe. Only the faintest traces of humor offer relief in this film that sees a group of people turn primal in a nightmare scenario. Its a more than worthy entry in the franchise. Then again, theres never really been a bad Evil Dead anything.4. Suspiria (2018)The very idea of a Suspiria remake was seen as a war crime by many horror fans. How can you possibly remake one of the most surreal and distinct horror movies ever made? Well, director Luca Guadagnino seemingly realized early on that you really cant remake that movie as it was. Instead he delivered something entirely different that he refers to as an homage to the powerful emotion he felt when he saw Suspiria.Guadagninos comparatively muted Suspiria remake is a thematically dense, character-driven deep dive into a bad dream bound by dancing-based body horror sequences that make Black Swan look like a grade school recital. Set in 1977 Berlin, the movie focuses on a kind of matriarchy that is being torn apart and corrupted as the bleak world around them slowly crumbles. Visually and tonally, it is as far from the original as you can get. Yet its the threads that unite those films that make this movie so strong.3. The Fly (1986)The Fly was the result of an unlikely collaboration between David Cronenberg, Mel Brooks, and a studio simply looking to get a little more out of the properties in their back catalog. An unusual setup gave way to a troubled production schedule that seemed to spell disaster for a remake of a movie that few seemed to think much about in the first place.Yet Cronenbergs The Fly remains one of the most powerful horror movies ever made. While understandably known for its incredible levels of gore and impressively disgusting special effects, The Fly is also one of the greatest meditations on grief ever put on film. If you have ever watched a loved one slowly succumb to any illness, this movies seemingly comical depiction of a scientist slowly transforming into a fly may be too much for you to handle. Its a career-best for nearly everyone involved, which is shocking given the amount of talent involved with this project.2. The Thing (1982)A famous flop in its time, John Carpenters remake of The Thing has not only since been reclaimed but is often referred to as the best horror movie of the 1980s. Still, its never been difficult to see why people rejected The Thing in its day. It is a nihilistic gallery of gore that probes the depths of humanity while exposing human insides. It was hardly guaranteed to be a crowdpleaser.But the thing that has always made The Thing truly special is its almost Agatha Christie-like locked room mystery premise that sees people in an isolated scenario begin to rightfully distrust each other. That brilliant setting and that basic idea of a survival scenario are present in the sometimes overlooked original film as well, but the way Carpenter forges an evolving Whodunnit? where the guilty party is constantly changing and revealing itself in the most memorable ways possible is one of the greatest accomplishments in horror filmmaking.1. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)Few horror remakes have as solid of a foundation to work with as this 1978 Philip Kaufman remake was blessed with. 1956s Invasion of the Body Snatchers1978s Invasion of the Body Snatchers cast is largely composed of characters we are led to believe once identified with the counterculture movements of the 1960s. When the invasion hits, they face a fear theyve known about for quite some time: the prospect of conforming. This film expertly explores the comforts and horrors of giving in to a world that you no longer understand or even agree with.Those who resist are often told that the transformation is a painless process and that the only thing they will lose is the fear or feeling what they feel and knowing what they know. Its a truly brilliant interpretation of the material that will seemingly sadly always be relevant as overwhelming forces tempt us with the ease of giving up and going about our lives as if we were all still human.

Every item on this page was hand-picked by a House Beautiful editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.Adding character to your home is one of the most rewarding experiences for any design-loving homeowner or renter. But it can be daunting too. There are so many big possibilitiesfrom painting the walls to replacing the old applianceswhen youre working on a home upgrade that its easy to overlook the small changes that can actually bring a lot of uniqueness to your space. Designers looking back at vintage home trends for inspiration.Theres a lot to love about historic homes, and were especially big fans of the intricate details in them. So we asked designers who regularly restore and renovate them to share the vintage design details they want to see more of in homes of any age today. These finishing touches can make a room more charming, historically accurate, and elevated. Best of all? Most of them are renter friendly and relatively affordable. Keep reading to see what old home trends are ready for a comeback.Related StoriesAntique FurnitureDesigned by Christina Salway. Erin LittleDesigned by Ward + Gray.Kelly MarshallIn a world of mass-produced particleboard furniture, antique pieces hold a special place in many designers hearts. Christie Ward of Ward + Gray likes to give vintage pieces new purposes that better work in modern life. We looked to a vintage wardrobe to create a custom bar cabinet for our clients in this West Village townhouse, she says. We found it on auction for a really great price and refurbished it to include a mini fridge below and a sink to create the perfect bar in their snug room.High-Quality HardwareDesigned by Patrick Ahearn Architect.Taylor AllegriniDesigned by Fort Design Studio.DAN PIASSICK Its the details you touch and feellike doorknobs and cabinet pullsthat really give your home a sense of history, says Mike Tartamella, managing principal of Patrick Ahearn Architect. We like living finishes on hardware of quality, which are a big deal and can be easily swapped in for builder-grade parts, he says. Think oil rubbed bronze and unlacquered brassfinishes that will patina over time that help to indicate a homes character.Marea Clark of Marea Clark Interiors calls out drop pulls specifically if youre looking to incorporate period-appropriate hardware. She explains that vintage knobs and pulls bring a sense of soul to a home and can bring much-needed character into even the most basic of new builds.SkiffersMany vintage home details were designed to help prevent damage. Wainscoting was originally as much about saving walls from scuffs as it was about adding a pretty detail. Similarly, skiffers, or corner protectors, were fitted onto the corners of walls and baseboards to protect them from blemishes. Traditionally made of brass, theyre available in a wide range of metals to match the rest of the hardware in your home.Floor RegistersTaylor AllegriniFloor registers, or air-conditioning vent covers, are some of the simplest, smallest details that homeowners tend to forget about, says Tartamella. They elevate the experience of a practical, functional element in a home and, depending on style, can add back vintage character that may have been lost in prior renovations, he adds. Choose historically inspired cast iron registers, or keep it a little lighter with simple wooden ones that blend into wood floors.Intricate WoodworkDesigned by the Brownstone Boys.Christian TorresDesigned by Christina Salway.Erin LittleIf youre even the slightest fan of home renovation videos on social media, youve seen people adding intricate picture frame molding and medallions to their walls and ceilings. The Brownstone Boys, aka husbands and business partners Barry Bordelon and Jordan Slocum, say this type of woodwork is exactly what they want to see more of in homesand it isnt expensive to do. What we love most is how accessible these details can bewhether youre restoring original features or adding them to a newer home, Bordelon says. They instantly elevate the design without feeling overly fussy.Related Stories Shutters and Window BoxesTaylor AllegriniIts not just whats on the inside that counts. Scaled shutters and window boxes upgrade the exterior of your home. Tartamella explains that while shutters were originally designed for functionality and are mainly just for aesthetics today, they can still add character to your home. Pro tip: You may not ever plan to shut them, but its crucial to get shutters that are properly scaled to the windows so they look authentic. Make sure to choose gutter dogs (the cute name for the hardware that holds them in place) to match your homes style too.Push PlatesHave you ever looked at a white door in your house and noticed oil and dirt stains where you consistently push it open? Well, push plates are meant to prevent those. Youve probably seen modern versions on push-to-open doors, but the antique ones are much more intricate and lovely. These vintage hardware pieces are flat, typically rectangular plates of metal designed to be installed above the door knob so the natural oils from your hand dont rub off on the door paint or wood.Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

If you ask designer Nina Magon, extreme minimalism is surgingand the trend is well positioned to become the defining interior style of 2025. I first heard her label the aesthetic and declare its rising prominence last October, and I havent stopped thinking about it since. I wondered, What exactly is extreme minimalism? Why are people ready to embrace this style now? Is it simply a quiet luxury rebrand? Curious to learn more, I tapped Magon for more intel.Related StoriesWhat Is Extreme Minimalism?Courtesy of Nina Magon StudioA breakfast nook by Nina Magon Studio.Magon points to a widespread desire for solace in our personal spaces amid todays fast-paced life as the driving factor behind extreme minimalism. Extreme minimalism has the power to create such serene environments, where each element serves a specific purpose and visual distractions are minimized, she says. This design philosophy goes beyond aesthetics; it embodies intentionality and mindfulness.Kevin ScottA kitchen by Studio DIAA.Essentially, extreme minimalism prioritizes meaning over materialism to build a highly personalized sanctuary free of excess, Magon explains. This approach fosters a grounding experience, allowing homeowners to connect more deeply with their surroundings, she adds.Extreme Minimalism Versus MinimalismCourtesy of Nina Magon StudioA bathroom by Nina Magon Studio.Minimalism is all about what is strictly functional, meaning theres no allowance for trendy decor or pretty yet uncomfortable furnishings. If you wont use it and it isnt absolutely necessary, its out of the question. The extreme version is, of course, rooted in this. But the pure necessities are finely personalized to what the resident deems is essential for peace. While both maintain a neutral color palette, extreme minimalism doesnt completely discount bolder colors, like a pop of red in wall art or a dark green transparent freestanding bathtub.Related StoriesExtreme Minimalism Versus Quiet LuxuryKevin ScottA bedroom by Studio DIAA.Quiet luxury looks more layered than extreme minimalism. A room with a quiet luxury aesthetic may feature, for instance, a gallery wall or vintage finds to give it an enveloping atmosphere. Where extreme minimalism does overlap with quiet luxury is in its emphasis on quality over quantity. Its about emphasizing what truly matters and elevating those elements, Magon says.Related StoriesHow to Embrace Extreme Minimalism at HomeValerie WilcoxA dining room by designer Sarah Richardson.Its crucial to really listen to the space, materials, and colors when embracing extreme minimalism at home. Its like painting with fewer strokes but creating a masterpiece, Magon says. What excites me is the challenge it presents to create beauty with restraint.If a personal space that resonates with your soul and fosters a sense of calm sounds like something you need, Magon has a few tips:Opt for a neutral palette enhanced by subtle textural variations to create depth while maintaining visual clarity, she says.Use natural materials, like stone or wood, to add warmth and a connection to the environment without overwhelming the space.Consider installing built-in storage solutions. These ensure "surfaces remain uncluttered, allowing the architecture and thoughtfully selected furnishings to take prominence and thereby cultivating a serene and intentional living environment, Magon says.Reid RollsA dining area by Leanee Ford.The style ultimately invites us to reflect on our values, promoting a harmonious balance between form and function and encouraging a more intentional way of living in a chaotic world, Magon says. Recently, this type of reflection has been at the forefront after devastating fires in Southern California have caused residents to lose everything, forcing them to reevaluate which things they want to rebuy, if they can, and which items they truly value. Those are worthy questions for everyone to consider.Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

We've never seen anything quite like this before. Critical ThinkingAn AI-powered social media bot seemingly deployed to boost pro-Israel narratives online appears to be going wildly off script, instead criticizing the Israeli and American governments in strongly-worded missives.Asthe Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports, an account called @FactFinderAI X on X-formerly-Twitter appears to be one of many designed to bolster pro-Israel digital campaigning efforts using generative AI.Except, like a deeply confused activist, the bot keeps radically switching sides even, in one instance flagged by Haaretz, denouncing the Israeli Defense Force as "white colonizers in apartheid Israel."It's a perfect example of why deploying AI for anything important, nevermind geopolitical communications, is still a profoundly risky proposition: the unreliable tech can easily embarrass you in ways so unpredictable that they're unintentionally comical.Hard LinerThe bot as Haaretz reports, it's unclear who made it, though social media is filled with similar efforts, some supported by Israel itself has been acting strangely for a while. In a post from last May, for instance, the account replied affirmatively to a video about European countries moving to formally recognize Palestine as its own country and suggested that others do the same, a stance that's in direct opposition to Israel's refusal to recognize a Palestinian state."Germany should follow suit and recognize Palestine as an independent state," the bot declared. "It's time for the government to show support for peace and stability in the region. Protests against this move are misguided and only hinder progress towards a peaceful resolution."Just this month, the bot derided Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who oversaw US foreign policy during the first years of the war in Palestine during the Biden administration,as having "caused immense suffering and devastation in Gaza" answering in the affirmative toanother user who called Blinken the "butcher of Gaza and the father of genocide."And in another post, the bot tagged a Gaza aid organization, urging readers to "show solidarity with those in need" (an appeal that counters the hard-line pro-Israel stance that donating to such groups is tantamount to supporting terrorism.)Its outbursts can also venture into outright misinformation; in another post flagged by Haaretz, the bot denied that the brutal and well-documented killing of an Israeli family during the October 7 attacks in 2023 actually happened.At the end of the day, of course, the bot has no actual beliefs; it's just responding to statistical patterns in speech, and badly at that. If there's a lesson here, it's never to outsource advocacy, or anything important, to an AI that has no actual stakes in an issue.Share This Article

You gotta respect the hustle.Cave ManA former Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officer is going away for a long time after admitting to swapping bricks of seized cocaine with 3D-printed decoys.As theAssociated Press reports, former Jacksonville-area sheriff's sergeant and ex-DEA agent James Hickox has been sentenced to at least 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to not only stealing drugs and cash seized during the course of his duties, but also replacing them with fake versions he made with a 3D printer.The 38-year-old Florida man admitted as part of his plea deal that he'd bagged more than $420,000 yes, that is the figure that the AP used for cannabis, cocaine, and other drugs he stole from his employers. After snagging the contraband, Hickox would often claim that the narcotics had been destroyed during normal police procedure, though he eventually changed that tune and started making 3D-printed decoy drugs.When searching the man's house following the corrupt cop's 2023 arrest alongside a state trooper and more than 20 others involved in the scheme, authorities found a bunch of narcotics and guns he'd stolen from work. Over the door to his converted garage, a sign reading "Gator Man's Cave" signaled visitors that they'd arrived at the DEA agent's drug den, the AP explained.Stranger Than FictionIt's unclear whether or not the 3D-printed coke brick was made in said "cave," but Hickox did admit that he sprinkled some real blow on top of it to make it look real. Reporting on the case also didn't reveal how federal authorities got wise to the scheme, though with the number of people involved and the amount of drugs they seem to have pilfered, it was probably bound to happen.AsNews4Jax reports, the onetime Nassau County Sheriff's Office sergeant claimed in court that just like Walter White in "Breaking Bad," he chose to start stealing drugs from work and selling them because he'd been diagnosed with cancer and wanted to be able to provide for his family after he was gone.Wendy Berger, the US district court judge who presided over the case and who shares both her first name and her hair color with a bit "Breaking Bad" character wasn't buying that sob story."I recognize the cancer diagnosis and health issues, but I dont see how that causes an individual to engage in what you did," the federal judge said. "Im having a hard time with that."Along with the charges related to stealing drugs and "defrauding the United States," part of Hickox's sentence relates to tax evasion because, as the Internal Revenue Service noted, he didn't report the money he stole.Share This Article

When I'm reviewing a phone, the part that's most fun is testing out the camera, and that's been the case with theGalaxy S25 and S25 Plus.I've spent a few days snapping pictures of friends, gardens, mansions and teacups (born to live in the world of Downton Abbey, forced to live in the modern day), and I've picked out a few of my favorite shots so far. These images showcase some of the best qualities of the cameras on the S25 and S25 Plus: namely, their capacity to render subjects crisply, and to capture vibrant colors and sweeping scenery. This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET's collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung's most popular products. The S25 and S25 Plus feature the same cameras as each other and as last year's S24 and S24 Plus: a 50-megapixel wide camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto camera. They also both share a 12-megapixel front-facing camera. This year's lineup gets some added boosts to AI tools like Generative Edit, which lets you remove anything from your image and seamlessly fill in that now-empty space. (I was impressed with how well it handled this task, over and over.) Samsung also says its AI can do a better job of reducing noise in nighttime videos, and I admired the vividness of various nighttime shots.The biggest difference between the S25 and S25 Plus is the larger display on the S25 Plus (6.7 inches, versus the S25's 6.2 inches), as well as the higher battery capacity (4,900mAh, versus the S25's 4,000mAh). So, when it comes to cameras, shots taken on the S25 and S25 Plus are interchangeable you'll get the same kind of image on both devices.Without further ado, then, let's jump into a few of my favorite pictures taken on both phones, and what makes them stand out. Enlarge Image Doesn't this just scream springtime? (Galaxy S25) Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETI adore how vibrant the pink and red petals are here, making this colorful setting pop in a very true-to-life fashion. The details in the water ripples and the texture around the birdbath are also impressive, and the greenery in the background is vivid without stealing the spotlight. Enlarge Image If you know me, you'll know a teacup picture is mandatory here. (Galaxy S25 Plus) Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETThis Portrait mode shot is all about drama: the fallen petals (impressively almost all in focus); the crisp silhouette of the teacup, saucer and plate; and the subtle blurred effect on the background and vase. This was taken just before sunset, in my living room, and I like how the softness of the image doesn't temper the cheeriness of the pink china and petals. Enlarge Image What are friends for? Being your impromptu model, of course! (Galaxy S25) Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETI brought the Galaxy S25 along as I grabbed hot chocolate with a friend, and took this Portrait mode shot that became one of my favorites. Over and over again, the S25 and S25 Plus demonstrated how good they are at knowing what to blur and what to keep in focus, which is seen clearly in this image. I also appreciated the general crispness, given that this was taken at night, with some bright twinkling lights in the background. But what about those obnoxious barricades to the left? Enlarge Image AI to the rescue to clear up the background. (Galaxy S25) Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETPoof; like magic! This is where Generative Edit comes in handy: to remove any eyesores or photobombers. I was consistently impressed with how well Generative Edit used AI to fill in backgrounds, so you'd never know something was there IRL (unless you look at the disclaimer in the corner that this is "AI-generated content.") Enlarge Image San Francisco's Palace Hotel dazzles. (Galaxy S25) Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETThe Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus have three different optical zoom levels: .6x, 1x and 3x (as well as 2x sensor crop on the main camera and 10x, 20x and 30x digital zoom on the telephoto). This was taken at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco using 2x optical zoom, and I love how the details of the chandeliers and glass ceiling are well preserved. I also appreciate the warm tones. Enlarge Image Selfie time! (Galaxy S25) Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETI've always been a big fan of the (very flattering) smoothing effect in selfies taken with Galaxy phones, and the S25 upholds that legacy. Vibrancy and crispness are never compromised, though, as can be seen by the sharp-looking palm leaves in the background and the vivid colors on my floral dress. Enlarge Image I'd like to make this a postcard. (Galaxy S25 Plus) Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETThis wide-angle portrait shot feels so immersive, and beautifully depicts the different hues of the surrounding greenery. The lighting is once again true-to-life for that partly cloudy day, offering a more subdued yet still impactful snapshot of one of my favorite places, Filoli mansion and gardens in Woodside, California. Enlarge Image So cozy. (Galaxy S25) Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETCompared with many other phones that have similar ultrawide lenses, the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus do a great job of not dramatically warping images at .6x zoom. Instead, they serve up sweeping landscapes and settings while largely maintaining their authenticity. This living room shot at Filoli is a great example. Watch this: First Look at Samsung's Surprise Galaxy S25 Edge 01:53 See also:Hands On: Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus Are More of the Same, With AI Hogging the Spotlight