News 3 vital AI conversations well explore together at TEDAI ViennaPosted by: TED Staff August 28, 2025at 11:00 am EDTArtificial intelligence has become one of the great topics of our age. We read about it daily, we marvel at its abilities, and we worry about its dangers. Beneath the excitement and anxiety, there are some deeper conversations we are still failing to have: questions about how we as thinkers, leaders and builders can shape the world we will all have to live in with AI. And the window to answer these questions is closing fast.Thats why, for three remarkable days, we will gather in the heart of Europe, in Vienna, Austria, to dedicate our time and attention to the most crucial conversations on AI and especially the ones we are not yet having. These are questions that shape how our daily lives unfold, how our markets operate and how our political systems function. At TEDAI Vienna, we will create space for nuance and contradiction, foster genuine debate and dive into three conversations uncomfortable and yet necessary that we must have at this moment in history before its too late.(Photo: Cherie Hansson / TEDAI Vienna)1. AI and the erosion or evolution of critical thinkingIn the age of AI, theres a growing risk that well grow accustomed to answers that come too easily. We might one day realize that what weve lost isnt our intelligence but, perhaps even worse, our patience for thinking. The beauty and burden of critical thinking isnt about knowing the answer: its about learning how to doubt, to compare, to weigh and to hold a question in the mind long enough to see its complexities. At TEDAI Vienna, researcher Advait Sarkar will premiere new work tools which, if used well, can become a partner in this process: tools that ask us better questions, challenge our assumptions and sharpen our reasoning. But we cant allow the conversation to stop there. As technological progress accelerates at astonishing speed, we must ask ourselves: What could thinking and consciousness look like for a superintelligent mind? Philosopher Joscha Bach will lead us through this profound question and share his latest research insights from the frontier of machine consciousness.(Photo: Robert Leslie / TEDAI Vienna)2. AI is beyond Silicon ValleyWe often speak of AI as if it were born in just one small corner of the world. But in truth, AI is now everywhere. At TEDAI Vienna, well hear from Oriol Vinyals, technical lead of Gemini at Google DeepMind, on how AI is being advanced in research labs in the UK; from policymakers such as Henna Virkkunen, executive vice president of the EU Commission, shaping its governance; from Hiroaki Kitano, president of Sony CSL in Japan, applying it to robotics; from Mercedes Bidart, empowering micro-entrepreneurs in Colombia to harness its potential; and from Bolor-Erdene Battsengel, bringing it into classrooms across Mongolia.We can no longer afford to view AI through the lens of a single location or discipline. Our world, our economies, our lives, are too interconnected. The rules we set in one place will reverberate everywhere, while the benefits and harms will know no borders. To guide AI wisely, we need the insights, values and priorities of a truly global conversation and it will require the participation of each and every one of us.(Photo: Cherie Hansson / TEDAI Vienna)3. AI is not a race to be won, but a home to be builtWe often describe AI in the language of competition: a race. The problem with a race is that it ends at a finish line. There are clear winners and losers, and once its over, there is little thought for what comes next.A more helpful metaphor might be that of building a home. A home is created slowly, with care and cooperation. It involves many skills and perspectives: architects and builders, but also designers, leaders, educators, economists and the people who will live there, shaping it with their needs and hopes. A home must be safe, open to visitors and strong enough to last through storms.If we thought of building AI as building a home, we might place more value on the long-term work of trust, fairness and accessibility. We might remember that everyone whether they helped design it or not will have to live within its walls. And we might focus less on being the fastest to build it and more on ensuring it is worth inhabiting.Few people in the world can speak to this better than Verity Harding, who will take the stage at TEDAI Vienna to share her incisive view on why the arms-race metaphor is leading us astray, and how we might instead imagine a better and bolder path forward.These three conversations about our thinking habits, the global nature of AI and the metaphors we use are not peripheral. They are the foundation for a future in which AI is not something that happens to us but something we shape together. From TED Talks to small-circle debates, from deep-dive thematic dinners to relaxed get-togethers, at TEDAI Vienna were building an environment to hold space for these conversations. Whether youre a technology builder, a business leader, a creative or a researcher, now is the time to show up and help lay the foundations of the AI future we will all inhabit.

Leading HMI developer Siili Auto chose Unreal Engine for design, development, and testing not only for its superior visuals and efficiency, but also its capabilities for creating unique and branded automotive experiences.

In early 2024, Disney invested more than a billion dollars in Fortnite creator Epic Games and announced some sort of new Disney-powered metaverse experience. We've already seen a few aspects of this deal come to fruition, like Fortnite skins for the Incredibles and the Disney Villains, plus new Marvel and Star Wars-themed seasons. There's been a lot of Disney in Fortnite since that announcement, in other words.But the big Disney x Fortnite metaverse mode has yet to see the light of day, and the project remains shrouded in mystery. Let's take a look at what we know about it so far.What actually is the Disney x Fortnite mode?We don't really know. There's been no teaser images or videos, and nobody is talking about it in terms that we would consider concrete. But here's how Disney described it in the original announcement:Continue Reading at GameSpot

There's no feeling in RPGs quite as raw as a companions betrayal, especially when gamers spend hundreds of hours teaming up with these digital allies. They share gear, strategize together, and build bonds through tough battles and near-death scrapes. These arent just NPCs tagging along; they're trusted partners in adventures that feel real.

NVIDIA today announced new AI education support for K-12 programs at a White House event to celebrate public-private partnerships that advance artificial intelligence education for Americas youth.The commitment comes after recent NVIDIA announcements to support AI education and academic research, including a $30 million contribution to the National AI Intelligence Research pilot and a U.S. National Science Foundation partnership in support of academic research. Over the last five years, NVIDIA has invested $125 million in higher education and academic research in the United States.Pledging $25 million in support with AI education programs, NVIDIA is partnering with Study Fetch and CK-12 two leading K-12 learning platforms to tailor the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute (DLI) and NVIDIA Academy content offerings to meet the instructional needs of U.S. K-12 classrooms.The NVIDIA effort aligns with the White House executive order Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth, announced in April. Additionally, in support of the executive order, NVIDIA signed the White Houses Pledge to Americas Youth: Investing in AI Education, committing to delivering AI literacy, credentialing and educator enablement.Supporting Americas Educators in Driving AI LiteracyIn the first year, NVIDIA will support curriculum adaptation, platform integration, educator training, institutional engagement and ecosystem-wide outreach.The NVIDIA DLI program integrations with Study Fetch and CK-12 will make available NVIDIAs industry-leading training materials to help empower high school educators in applying DLI Teaching Kits.NVIDIA DLI courses are geared toward teaching professional skills to developers. NVIDIA is partnering with Study Fetch and CK-12, which will curate the course material content for high school students to get hands-on experience with AI, aiming to spark curiosity, build practical skills and prepare the next generation of job seekers to thrive in the AI-driven economy.The NVIDIA partnership aims to reach 1 million K-12 students within three years.Preparing the Next Generation for AI LeadershipThe White House initiative and NVIDIA commitments are united on a central mission to drive American leadership in AI.Winning the AI Race: Americas AI Action Plan was announced in July by the White House, supported with executive orders to accelerate federal permitting of data center infrastructure and promote exportation of the American AI technology stack.Aligned with the White House AI Action Plan, NVIDIA and the U.S. National Science Foundation recently committed $152 million in support to Ai2 for the development of open AI models to drive U.S. academic and nonprofit scientific leadership.

Its time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, and free-to-play games topped last months download charts. August continued sports supremacy as Madden NFL 26 led the charge on the charts in the US, while Mafia: The Old Country had success on both the US and EU charts for PS5, and Delta Force dominated the free-to-play charts in both the US and EU.Check out the full listings below. What titles are you playing this month?PS5 GamesUS/CanadaEUMadden NFL 26Mafia: The Old CountryReady or NotGrand Theft Auto VMafia: The Old CountryReady or NotGears of War: ReloadedForza Horizon 5College Football 26MinecraftGrand Theft Auto VMETAL GEAR SOLID : SNAKE EATERMETAL GEAR SOLID : SNAKE EATERGears of War: ReloadedMinecraftThe Crew MotorfestForza Horizon 5Clair Obscur: Expedition 33Call of Duty: Black Ops 6It Takes TwoHELLDIVERS 2Among UsDemon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2Hogwarts LegacyWWE 2K25The Witcher 3: Wild HuntClair Obscur: Expedition 33CarX StreetMidnight Murder ClubWWE 2K25Mortal Kombat 1GroundedMLB The Show 25F1 25CarX StreetSplit FictionGroundedNo Mans SkyPhasmophobiaRaft*Naming of products may differ between regions *Upgrades not includedPS4 GamesUS/CanadaEURed Dead Redemption 2Red Dead Redemption 2Batman: Arkham KnightA Way OutA Way OutBatman: Arkham KnightBattlefield 4Grand Theft Auto VNeed for Speed HeatNeed for Speed HeatGrand Theft Auto VUnravel TwoMortal Kombat XMinecraftMinecraftBatman: Return to ArkhamBatman: Return to ArkhamBattlefield 4STAR WARS Battlefront IIAssassins Creed SyndicateMiddle-earth: Shadow of WarWatch Dogs 2Alien: IsolationAssassins Creed UnityGang BeastsThe ForestWatch Dogs 2Mortal Kombat XThe Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive SeriesAssassins Creed OdysseyCall of Duty: Black Ops IIIMiddle-earth: Shadow of WarTom Clancys Ghost Recon BreakpointKingdom Come: DeliveranceThe ForestMafia: TrilogyBloodborneBattlefield VInjustice 2Assassins Creed Origins*Naming of products may differ between regionsPS VR2 Games*US/CanadaEUBeat SaberBeat SaberCreed: Rise to Glory Championship EditionCreed: Rise to Glory Championship EditionAlien: Rogue Incursion VRJob SimulatorAmong Us 3D: VRAlien: Rogue Incursion VRJob SimulatorKayak VR: MirageSkydances BEHEMOTHSkydances BEHEMOTHGORN 2Among Us 3D: VRPavlovDead Land 2 VRArizona Sunshine 2Flight Simulator Delivery 2025 VRBefore Your EyesHorizon Call of the Mountain*PlayStation Store purchases only. Game upgrades or games bundled with hardware not includedFree to Play (PS5 + PS4)US/CanadaEUDelta Force (F2P)Delta Force (F2P)RobloxRobloxFortniteFortniteTom Clancys Rainbow Six Siege X Free AccessTom Clancys Rainbow Six Siege X Free AccessCall of Duty: WarzoneCall of Duty: WarzoneRocket LeagueRocket LeagueMarvel RivalseFootballFall GuysAsphalt LegendsAsphalt LegendsFall GuysApex LegendsVALORANT

A Dungeon Master wears many hats. Sometimes you are a narrator, other times you are the arbiter of rules. More often, you are a multitasking pseudo-god hooked on caffeine trying to keep everything in check and fight against the tides of chaos.

September is just around the corner, and that means its time for some new wallpapers! For more than 14 years already, our monthly wallpapers series has been the perfect occasion for artists and designers to challenge their creative skills and take on a little just-for-fun project telling the stories they want to tell, using their favorite tools. This always makes for a unique and inspiring collection of wallpapers month after month, and, of course, this September is no exception.In this post, youll find desktop wallpapers for September 2025, created with love by the community for the community. As a bonus, weve also added some oldies but goodies from our archives to the collection, so maybe youll spot one of your almost-forgotten favorites in here, too? A huge thank-you to everyone who shared their artworks with us this month this post wouldnt exist without your creativity and support!By the way, if youd like to get featured in one of our upcoming wallpapers editions, please dont hesitate to submit your design. We are always looking for creative talent and cant wait to see your story come to life!You can click on every image to see a larger preview.We respect and carefully consider the ideas and motivation behind each and every artists work. This is why we give all artists the full freedom to explore their creativity and express emotions and experience through their works. This is also why the themes of the wallpapers werent anyhow influenced by us but rather designed from scratch by the artists themselves.21st Night Of SeptemberOn the 21st night of September, the world danced in perfect harmony. Earth, Wind & Fire set the tone and now its your turn to keep the rhythm alive. Designed by Ginger IT Solutions from Serbia.previewwith calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440WhoDesigned by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.previewwith calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 3840x2160without calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 3840x2160Skating Through Chocolate Milk DayCelebrate Chocolate Milk Day with a perfect blend of fun and flavor. From smooth sips to smooth rides, its all about enjoying the simple moments that make the day unforgettable. Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.previewwith calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440MoodDesigned by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.previewwith calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 3840x2160without calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 3840x2160Funny CatsCats are beautiful animals. Theyre quiet, clean, and warm. Theyre funny and can become an endless source of love and entertainment. Here for the cats! Designed by UrbanUI from India.previewwithout calendar: 360x640, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1680x1200, 1920x1080Pigman And RobinDesigned by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.previewwithout calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 3840x2160Autumn RainsThis autumn, we expect to see a lot of rainy days and blues, so we wanted to change the paradigm and wish a warm welcome to the new season. After all, if you come to think of it: rain is not so bad if you have an umbrella and a raincoat. Come autumn, we welcome you! Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440TerrazzoWith the end of summer and fall coming soon, I created this terrazzo pattern wallpaper to brighten up your desktop. Enjoy the month! Designed by Melissa Bogemans from Belgium.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Summer EndingAs summer comes to an end, all the creatures pull back to their hiding places, searching for warmth within themselves and dreaming of neverending adventures under the tinted sky of closing dog days. Designed by Ana Masnikosa from Belgrade, Serbia.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Cacti EverywhereSeasons come and go, but our brave cactuses still stand. Summer is almost over and autumn is coming, but the beloved plants dont care. Designed by Lvia Lnrt from Hungary.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 800x480, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Flower SoulThe earth has music for those who listen. Take a break and relax and while you drive out the stress, catch a glimpse of the beautiful nature around you. Can you hear the rhythm of the breeze blowing, the flowers singing, and the butterflies fluttering to cheer you up? We dedicate flowers which symbolize happiness and love to one and all. Designed by Krishnankutty from India.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Stay Or Leave?Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Rainy FlowersDesigned by Teodora Vasileva from Bulgaria.previewwithout calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Listen Closer The Mushrooms Are GrowingIts this time of the year when children go to school and grown-ups go to collect mushrooms. Designed by Igor Izhik from Canada.previewwithout calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 2560x1600Weekend RelaxDesigned by Robert from the United States.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 1024x1024, 1280x720, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 2560x1440HungryDesigned by Elise Vanoorbeek from Belgium.previewwithout calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1440x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440National Video Games Day DelightSeptember 12th brings us National Video Games Day. US-based video game players love this day and celebrate with huge gaming tournaments. What was once a 2D experience in the home is now a global phenomenon with players playing against each other across statelines and national borders via the internet. National Video Games Day gives gamers the perfect chance to celebrate and socialize! So grab your controller, join online, and let the games begin! Designed by Ever Increasing Circles from the United Kingdom.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440More BananasDesigned by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.previewwithout calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 3840x2160National Elephant Appreciation DayToday, we celebrate these magnificent creatures who play such a vital role in our ecosystems and cultures. Elephants are symbols of wisdom, strength, and loyalty. Their social bonds are strong, and their playful nature, especially in the young ones, reminds us of the importance of joy and connection in our lives. Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Long Live SummerWhile Septembers Autumnal Equinox technically signifies the end of the summer season, this wallpaper is for all those summer lovers, like me, who dont want the sunshine, warm weather, and lazy days to end. Designed by Vicki Grunewald from Washington.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Bear TimeDesigned by Bojana Stojanovic from Serbia.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1080, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x990, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Still In Vacation MoodIts officially the end of summer and Im still in vacation mood, dreaming about all the amazing places Ive seen. This illustration is inspired by a small town in France, on the Atlantic coast, right by the beach. Designed by Miruna Sfia from Romania.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1440x1050, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Maryland PrideAs summer comes to a close, so does the end of blue crab season in Maryland. Blue crabs have been a regional delicacy since the 1700s and have become Marylands most valuable fishing industry, adding millions of dollars to the Maryland economy each year. The blue crab has contributed so much to the states regional culture and economy, in 1989 it was named the State Crustacean, cementing its importance in Maryland history. Designed by The Hannon Group from Washington DC.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x960, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Summer In Costa RicaWe continue in tropical climates. In this case, we travel to Costa Rica to observe the Arenal volcano from the lake while we use a kayak. Designed by Veronica Valenzuela from Spain.previewwithout calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Wine Harvest SeasonWelcome to the wine harvest season in Serbia. Its September, and the hazy sunshine bathes the vines on the slopes of Fruka Gora. Everything is ready for the making of Bermet, the most famous wine from Serbia. This spiced wine was a favorite of the Austro-Hungarian elite and was served even on the Titanic. Bermets recipe is a closely guarded secret, and the wine is produced by just a handful of families in the town of Sremski Karlovci, near Novi Sad. On the other side of Novi Sad, plains of corn and sunflower fields blend in with the horizon, catching the last warm sun rays of this year. Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440OfficeClean, minimalistic office for a productive day. Designed by Antun Hirman from Croatia.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 800x600, 1280x720, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1440, 2560x1440Colors Of SeptemberI love September. Its colors and smells. Designed by Juliagav from Ukraine.previewwithout calendar: 320x480, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 2560x1440Never Stop ExploringDesigned by Ricardo Gimenes from Spain.previewwithout calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 3840x2160

Shenzhen-based tech company Timekettle has just released the W4 AI Interpreter Earbuds, designed to make real-time multilingual communication seamless. Building on the proven performance of the professional-grade W4 Pro, the new consumer-facing model delivers instant, AI-powered translation that addresses one of the worlds most persistent challenges: miscommunication across languages.Viral videos of world leaders, diplomats, and other officials comically misunderstanding each other during negotiations at institutions like the UN are a dime a dozen. The root of the problem: interpreters moving too slowly or inadvertently misinterpreting the idiosyncrasies of what is being said. The many clips of tourists struggling with phone apps to converse with locals in their native languages but failing are equally humorous. The sheer differences in how intonation is expressed and syntax structured is often the cause of confusion.While artificial intelligence might not yet fully decipher the subtle nuances of culturally charged expression, it can certainly help in getting general ideas across quickly even immediately.Launched at a leading tech fair IFA, held in Berlin this month, the device features integrated Bone-voiceprint sensor voice capture and cutting-edge Al LLM-powered technology. Designed for seamless, real-time multilingual communication, the W4 revolutionizes language interpretation with its innovative dual-voice pickup, unparalleled noise-filtering capabilities, and context-aware translation that corrects confusing homophones. The system delivers 98% accuracy and a near-zero lag time.The connected program is Babel OS 2.0 which is enabled with 42 languages and 92 accents. A French speaker from France can finally understand someone from the most remote parts of Quebec.The idea of being able to instantaneously understand the person in front of you, speaking a different language or dialect is a paradigm shifting proposition if there ever was one.This tangible innovation harnessing AI as a tool but not necessarily as a dominant force, even if partially replacing a profession is achieved not merely through integrated technology but also the ergonomic formal configuration of the device.The biggest problem with these types of objects is their size and often slippery texture aerodynamic streamlines over functionality. Everyone has experienced an ear bud fall out of its case and disappear forever. While the actual in-ear component is smaller and more conducive to the shape of the ear, its touch-enabled appendage is far more manageable.A marked contrast from other popular products in this category, the W4 AI Interpreter Earbuds comes in a more conspicuous navy blue and sand gold. The device has all the capabilities of this unnamed alternative: noise-canceling, and discrete music playing. Switching between both functionalities is just a matter of a click.Another issue is power. Many bluetooth-enabled earbuds require recharging after just three hours. The W4 AI Interpreter Earbuds have a 24-hour battery life, which more or less ensures there wont be any interruption in performance; a break in the seamless exchange of world leaders making important decisions or tourists trying to find their way through a remote countryside.For more information on the W4 AI Interpreter Earbuds from Timekettle, visit timekettle.co.Photography courtesy of Timekettle.

Diagram of a person in a box, crowned by a closed process. Image by the author,2025.The short version: IT is broken. Its not working, to the point where people are ready to give it up, just like they would a mangled hammer. I think the brokenness is rooted in a lack of humanism: it doesnt work for people; it uses people towards the builders ends. Its also more complicated than that, which I parse through while also giving a clue about how to get out of beingstuck.At the end of this piece, there are intros to two concepts and a book. Truth is, Im on the edge; I shouldnt be publishing it like this in the usurious world we now live in. Any business person would tell me to build it and sell it if I am so certain its useful (and I am). But I freaking love information. If we dont pull this backif we dont start offering nodes where it works again, showing through juxtaposition that the brokenness is a product of decisions rather than fundamentally bad toolswe lose IT. It is an act ofhope.Information technologyinternet, genAI, software, all of itis stuck. Ive heard more people in the past month want to walk away from using what they consider irredeemably broken tools than I had the three years previously. The first time I heard it was from a developer, complaining around seven years ago about all the move fast and break things brokenness. In other words, this isnt a sudden awareness of an idea, but an escalated spreading of astance.Its supported by the recent upswing in people deciding to return to analog media, concerns about how to fix the infrastructure AI is breaking, so much fuckupedness in what AI is enabling, deeper usury of platforms, degrading previous workhorse productsand so much more. Really, the shift is that its so bad non-technologists think itsbroken.People get stuck, not knowing how to break a cycle, a routine; sometimes not even able to pin down this sense of disquiet and frustration to, oh, Im stuck. Enough of it happens, and cultures get stuck. Get enough cultures stuck, and society getsstuck.The thing about getting stuck is that its predicated on information. Were doing the same thing over and over again because this is how we problem-solved an information set. Various pressuresall constructed. Really.keep the problem set static, so there seems to be no otherway.Anything that has information can get stuck. Our internet, software, IT infrastructure, etc., is information before its technology. Our businesses are information before theyre profit centers. People are information beings; information is invested in everything wedo.Theres always another way. Theres ALWAYS a choice. The choice might not be something warm and fuzzy, but theres a choice. If someone tells you there is no choice, or there is only one way, they have an agenda and it needs your complacency (at least) or physical/mental/emotional energy (preferred).Information technology was stumbling along for so long, and then: stuck. Quality and service issues, creating frustration, locking us in, locking us away from possibility, requiring very specific pathways to make things work, only in the way the builders want it to work. Cory Doctorow focused on the how of enshitification. Ed Zitron focused on the why of rot economy. This isnt new, its notunique.Big tech built for stuckness.It doesnt have to be this way. The way out of being stuck is to expand the problem setto understand the domain of where the stuckness livesand then realign withinit.It sometimes means giving up one of those intractable pressure points that became more prioritized than its actual worth, once its seen against the larger domain. Sometimes it means seeing a wonky decision for its real value, changing your mind, and reworking the problem. Sometimes its as simple as seeing a workaround that was previously unseen.To see the possibilities, we need diversity. Its really that simple: dont assume everyone is the same, and dont keep them stuck. Honor humanity for our totality, and people for their specificity; and then build dynamic information around everythingeverythingwe can think of. Since our perceptions are a limited subset of reality, we will iterate. Maintenance and recasting need to be built in as standard worklines.Getting stuckGetting stuck is actually really easy. It comes from a belief that choice is governed. It can have a thousand options within it, like all the potato chip flavors youre hit with as you walk down the snack aisle. It can feel like youre dealing with TMI, when actually youre dealing with a governed data set that is exorbitantly expansive, exhausting to peruse, sensing that if you just kept at it another minute youd see exactly what would hit the spot, and still requires compromising yourgoals.Governance goes beyond data sets. Governance is also in our user pathways, our processes, and how well or poorly our digital information structures mesh with real-world information structures. And once we see that the structures are also in real-world, its easier to see that governance can also be behavioral. Human.Monopolies love stuckness. What they are doing informationally is curtailing a governed information set, forming or leveraging some kind of requirement, and then working to get as close to a single option as theycan.They saw a problem and offered a solution. Other people saw the same, offered a different solution, and the solution set became sharedno one had 100% of the potential market base. But in the process, more people liked the full set of available pathways, decided this was a problem worth solving, and bought in. That creates a governed dataset.If enough people buy in, and what was once a solution now becomes an expectation, that sets a requirement. Thats governed processes.Maybe the business is befuddled by humanity being a part of their information setwhich they are, always, because humanity and information are inextricably intertwingled. Humanity can be enough of shift that the designed infrastructure doesnt work to business wishstates. The only option the befuddled business sees to increase market share is to buy other outfits that seem to have figured something out. It might even be to try to cross-pollinate whatever the purchased company figured out. But in subsuming instead of mixing in, they lost the humanist spark that made the whole shebang work; to them, it lookedextraneous. They are bigger, but still not understanding the key ingredient. They try again. All along, they are governing human behavior through lack of supporting information structure.Maybe they were urged to it through social and financial pressures. Maybe they were provided a blueprint in their education that they never questioned.Maybe they are assholes.There are hundreds of behaviors that could get the ball rolling, and keep it going. The endstate is still the same: anti-competitive behavior until its an non-competitive market.A monopoly is imposed stuckness. If it becomes required, even better. Situations like losing cellphone communications leading to a lack of work, which is needed to survive, makes cellphones a necessity. The stuckness isnt just about a companys monopolistic behaviors. Its about the cultures and social expectations that surround the products use. Expectations too deeply and unquestionably grasped are a social governance.Most regulations (not all), including those around monopolies, are put in place because some asshole decided it was ok to cause wider harm as long as they could make some money doing it. Those regulations are necessary for society to function. For whatever reason, we have a bunch of people who seem unable to understand that money is an abstracted construct that goes away if people go away. Poison water, people die, they no longer produce what could be sold, no money. Pollute the air, people die, they no longer produce what could be sold, no money. Nuclear war, people die, no money. Climate change, food cant be grown, people die, no money. Control the production base of a necessity, charge too much, people cant afford to eat, people die, no money. Its not the next step, but its setting up the dominos in a way that gets harder and harder to shift in a direction of people-not-dying and money continuing to have the conceptual foundation of exchange betweenpeople.We are hitting the ceiling of yes-and that just heightens what is already in the mixthat adds to the governed data set, thinking we just need shrimp-and-pickle-flavored chips.We need the yes-and that transforms, that adds a whole other facet which in turn adds complexity and possibility. It is going to the network and saying, and now well include this node, too; and to do that we need to balance with this node, and Thats how we find ourchoices.And someone is going to not like what those choices are. The trick is to find that pathway that is broadly humanist.ChoiceDiagram of a person in a fuzzy box, crowned by a subjective process and surrounded in a see of additional nodes. Image by the author,2025.Underlying the baseline function of a governed data set is a thread of controlling behavior. The same playbooks are used in egregious monopolistic behavior, 1:1 abusers, cults, and authoritarian regimes. Its primary tool is simplifying information down to a false choice. When that doesnt work, start lying. When lying doesnt work, start hitting, or killing off the competition, or policing the streets over-armed. In other words, forcefully curtail choice. Moat the information. Lock them in. Scarethem.To get an effective list of the behaviors involved in controlling others is as simple as studying dark triad. Those behaviorslike siloing, gaslighting, love bombingare all behaviorally informed levers to manipulate information into a false choice. Not everyone using these behaviors are dark triad; but they are probably within a few degrees ofone.If all the choices boil down to one option, like use genAI or get left behind; its not a choice. That phrase, in context of our economic model, is a threat. Getting left behind is just an exchange for or else. In this case, it means no longer making money. Its really just one option: use genAI. This should be making people incredible suspect as a startingpoint.When we oversimplify a user path, were removing information, which also changes the flavor of the choice/non-choice being made. When we hide the ability to cancel, were gaslighting. All the patterns of deceptive design are rooted in manipulating information to manipulate people into a falsechoice.Curtailed choices are everywhere in our IT. They have become the norm. In the push to simplifyto make a flow so easy people could do it while barely paying attentionwe often scoped too finitely. We called all the things we didnt really want people to do or be edge cases, vowed to circle back someday, and then started a newMVP.If those edge cases were 60% of our users, we didnt know because we were focused on the positive-form metric of what we were tracking. We didnt track what we didnt want to see. We tracked what made our company feel good, what gave us a sense of job security, or stroked the ego of someone with too muchpower.As more companies did this, it sent out everyday waves of frustration. Little curtailments, scattered everywhere. It is the status quo, so its hard to see. But little by little, the frustration grew. Little by little, stuckness coalesced.People get stuck because information getsstuck.Information, usually, that has been simplified without allowing for easily found, increased density and/or alternative, functioning pathways. I am positive that some of this is because our industry was following best practices; following where others had proven the least pain-inducing (but still painful for some, even sometimes most because of how best practice is calculated) experience.Some of it is because information technology is constructed and documented information. When you build information to spec, manipulating it at the source is incredibly tempting for some of our individuals. They developed metrics of success that often implicated the deceptive behavior they built in the information, and werecopied.We gotstuck.How to getunstuckDiagram of a person centered in a rough network, crowned by a subjective process with optional links to the network. Key nodes are highlighted, some with pathways to connect and one with a pathway to find. Image by the author,2025.The way out of this is both incredible simple and incredibly complex, and it is almost the samephrase.Understand the domain. In other words, understand the context; reach for the yes-and that adds nodes to transform, not just a heightened expression of whats already there. Make a bet, experiment, and see what finds traction without resorting to pressure, hype, and falsechoices.The hard part is understanding domains. When we scope a problem to solve, we are trying to wrap our heads around a finite set within a perceptually infinity. We do that by picking out a border, restructuring the informationwith betsand seeing if, how, and how-well it works. Thats information structure, and it can be a complexbeast.Information is also entirely human. All the human behaviors that so many of us have decided need to be shamed, or denigrated, or dismissed, or non-existent to perception still affects our information. All the manipulation that some of us do so well, and others of us are copying in hopes to increase some facet of sensed success, still affects our information. All the points of dissonance, some real and debilitating and some sensed and used as reason for a manipulative power play and an excuse for aggression, still affects our information. All of our ability to love, find connection, and to work together, fix and buildits all in our information.And all of thatall of the complex structure, all of the humanityare in time. What we know now is not what well always understand as meaningful. What we have understood can follow us for ages, when there is some delightfully prescient nugget of encapsulated meaning. We work together for a sensed future, fix what doesnt work, build more, and keep the food growing and the lights on. Especially if the things we depend on arent functioning well in the overall system, we need to understand them and shiftnot go hungry or make electricity a luxury. None of these are throw-away functions; all of the people focused on any of our continued existence should be honored. Right now we dont, and its pervasive.All of this functions more fluidly, with less pain, when we understand the information as close to reality as we can currently conceptualize.We bring it all back in closer alignment with reality by reformulating information to be humanist; in our policies, in our laws, in our information, and in ourtools.I have two forms to help people more easily see it is possible, as well as how I understand information. Both forms are based on work done in my own time, outside of NDA, and were not a financial zero-sum situation; they came at a cost to me. Using it, or springboarding from it in the same general form? Pay me. Business or invested startup, pay me like you would your best experts. Start or continue your humanist streak by treating me as a real person with living expenses. Bootstrapper or non-profit, buy me a coffee. Links for payments and all three documents are on https://www.lenthic.com/humanist-it.In my grandest dreams, I hope that many will use them. A single point of entry, while capitalistic and keeping me fed maybe at some point in the future, is too small a ripple for how broken it isnow.No AI was used to research, create, write, or build any ofthis.Prioritized searchSearch right now is returns based on all kinds of information being smudged for us in the background, not by us as the immediate problem solvers. Its a bit of a mental twist, but not a huge one. Look at it. Exists already, right? Look at it again. Its not that it exists already (at least as of this writing, that I or my longest-standing IT cohort are aware of). Its that its very closely aligned with how people think outside of the binary. And yet, it smudges the binarymaking the returns slightly impreciseby using multiple binaries and a precise data set. If someone had seen it, we could have done it ten yearsago.The presentation goes through the cognitive function, interface, logic, and potential expansions after the big push of the initial data cleanup and coding is complete.What this concept alsodoes:conceptualized to honor peoples data privacy: no need to pay data brokers; not relying on user data reduces temptation for hacking your systems, so it might reduce securityevents;honors peoples ability to troubleshoot their own problem solving, capturing unknown/unanticipated long tail conversions;helps to level the playing field for small business, creating more competition and more options in a dynamic marketplace;long-term reduces metadata maintenance by not having to think of and manage adjacencies.Riffpoints architectureIt started by trying to fix my own annoyance at having to spend so much time just churning through design files. There have been limited designer-time savings pushed through to the design functions since Adobe first cracked how to get all the elements of design encoded. More effort went into genAI design software, which doesnt live up the to precision that is expected from and by designers.There are solutions available by leveraging well-architected design tokens. On the development side, there is opportunity to be able to open up the site to be accessible by any sightedness.The presentation goes through the architecture, what drove each subset, and what can be enabled by the architecture.What this concept alsodoes:Reduce design churn time while improving consistency and maintaining precision; how effective that is depends on business stakeholders willingness to work with designers, and potential updates to existing design software or development of new design software;Potentially optimize for any-sighted accessibility, making it so there are no invisible inks;Offers an alternative to the environmentally wasteful imprecision of genAI with sustainable precise fluidity.MovementsWhat I do isnt magic. Its complexthe below image is the traced connections in the bookbut it is explicable. Ive been working on it for a lifetime; it took five years to write what I currently understand. The copyright remainsmine.Humanist IT: getting unstuck was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.