Using local ingredients like hoja santa, huitlacoche, insects, and a variety of mercurial spirits, bartenders in the Mexican city are testing the boundaries of flavor and presentation.

MacworldFinding an unlocked iPhone for cheap is rarer than a can of dandelion and burdock, but if youre looking for one, todays your lucky day: Amazons Woot is selling an unlocked iPhone 15 in black with 512GB of storage for $670 (512GB), a savings of $329 off Apples already reduced price and the best price weve ever seen.The iPhone 15 isnt able to run Apple Intelligence, but its ready for everything else iOS 18 has to offer, with an A16 processor, 6.1-inch OLED display, and Apples innovative Dynamic Island. Youll also get an excellent camera system with a 48MP main lens and a 12MP ultra-wide lens. It doesnt have a telephoto camera like the Pro models, but Apples computational advancements allow it to have 2x zoom enabled by quad-pixel sensor. And of course, youll get years of updates.We gave the iPhone 15 4 stars in our 2024 review, calling it another example of Apples straightforward excellence. And our opinion hasnt changed a year later.Since this iPhone isnt brand new, its not eligible for AppleCare, but its not refurbished either. Woot promises that the phone is in Pristine condition and has never been in customer hands. It will have a test sticker showing100% battery life and insidea sleek custom black box,not the original retail packaging. It comes with a one-year warranty from Apple but again, its not eligible for AppleCare.So if you want a great iPhone at a great price without needing to jump through carrier hoops, go grab this deal before its gone forever.Buy it now

MacworldWhether you have just switched from a PC to a Mac and have discovered that the and @ keys arent where you were expecting, you cant find the euro sign, pound sign, or hash key on your Mac keyboard, or you need to type some unusual characters or accents and dont know how, are here to help.The first problem is that the location of the special characters may depend on where you are based in the world: keyboard layout differs by country, with certain characters getting more prominence on the keyboards of the people who use them more. Youll find QWERTY keyboards for English speakers, while French speakers get a AZERTY keyboard, and Germans get QWERTZ, for example. Keyboards have completely different key layouts depending on the country, so weve included the location of these special keys for a variety of keyboards.Even U.S. and U.K. keyboards have a number of surprising differences in terms of key placement. Australians tend to use the American keyboard layout. Another source of confusion is the fact that some Mac keyboards label the Alt key Option while others call the Option key Alt (depending on your viewpoint). On a Mac keyboard the key has a symbol that looks like this: This means that some guides you will read will talk about an Option or Alt key you cant see on your Mac. The key is one and the same. See: Where is the Option key. And if you are using a PC keyboard with your Mac the Alt key will do the job of the Option key, while the Windows key will do the job of Command, and you will no doubt be very confused. How to type $@# and Thats not a concealed swear word! Those are all symbols that you may find yourself needing to type again and again, and yet they are hidden from view on your Mac keyboard. Dont worry though, well let you know what you need to do to type them.Before we begin, this is a handy overview of the hidden characters that you can type using Alt. The first example is the U.S. keyboard, the second is a U.K. keyboard. If you want to see an overview of a different keyboard on your screen well include the steps to see it below. The hidden keys on a U.S. Apple keyboard.FoundryThe hidden keys on a U.K. Apple keyboardFoundryHow to type Euro symbol on a Mac keyboard On a U.S. keyboard to type euro you need to press: Alt/Option-Shift-2 = On a U.K. keyboard to type euro you should press: Alt/Option-2 = European keyboards give more prominence to the Euro sign, but the location of the euro key, and the combination of keys required, depends on the country. On French Apple Magic Keyboards youll find the Euro sign (and dollar sign) next to the return key. On German, Italian, Swiss and Spanish keyboards the euro sign is typed by pressing option/alt and the E key. Portuguese keyboards have the Euro sign on the number 3: press option/Alt and that key. For Norwegians and the Danish the euro is typed by pressing option/Alt and the number 4. And Dutch keyboards have the euro on the number 2. How to type the pound sign on a Mac keyboard Not only is typing a pound sign tricky because the location of the key will differ depending on the keyboard, but also the word itself has a different meaning depending on where you are. For U.K. residents the word pound represents the currency: . However, some countries call the hashtag or hash key a pound.If you are in the U.K. the hashtag sign shares the 3 key with the pound sign () but on other countrys keyboards the U.K. sign is found elsewhere (well get to that next).How to type a # (hash)On a U.S. keyboard to type # you need only press Shift-3 = #On a U.K. keyboard to type # you should press Alt/Option-3 = #The hash sign on French keyboards is found to the left of the number 1. German keyboards have the hash key beside the return key. Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish and Portuguese keyboards have the hash key on number 3.Italian keyboards have the hash key (cancelletto) just above the lower right shift key. How to type a (pound sign)Well mention the UK Pound sign here for everyone who is using a non-U.K. keyboard as its location on a U.K. keyboard is no mystery (ok if you are still looking its on the 3 key).On a U.S. keyboard you need to type you need to press Alt/Option-3 = The key may not even be illustrated on the U.S. keyboard! On French and Swiss keyboards, the is found above the right-hand shift key, beside the enter/return key. Italian keyboards have the on the number 3, like U.K. keyboards. How to type at @This @ key is a point of confusion for PC users coming to Mac keyboards because the key and @ key switch places.On a U.S. or U.K. keyboard youll find the @ key on the 2 key. You need to press Shift-2 = @.Spanish and Swedish keyboards also have the @ on the 2. On Danish, Norwegian, Portuguese, and Swiss keyboards the @ key is next to the return key, above the right-hand shift key. French keyboards have the @ sign to the left of 1. German keyboards have the @ key on L. Italian keyboards also have the @ next to the L. Where is the key? On a U.S. or U.K. keyboard youll find the key will be down on the right where the key is located. On German, Danish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swiss, Swedish and Italian keyboards the key is on the 2. French keyboards have the on 3. and The various copyright and trademark signs can be commonly used in certain lines of work. Luckily there is an easy way to type them on a Mac keyboard.You might think that logically the Copyright sign would be hidden on the C key, but youd be wrong. The C key is the home of various accented Cs. If you want to type a you need to press Alt/Option and G.Alt/Option-G = If you want to type the Registered Trademark symbol less Option/Alt and R:Alt/Option-R = As for the how you type depends on the keyboard:On a U.S. keyboard to type you need to press: Alt/Option-2 = On a U.K. keyboard to type you should press: Shift-Alt/Option-2 = Want to type the Pi () symbol? We have a tutorial that explains how to do that here: How to type the Pi () symbol on a Mac or iPhone.This one was popularised by Elon Musk and Grimes when they named their child A-12 Musk. If you want to type just press and hold the A key. Youll see a range of options appear in a box just select the one you want or press 5. DegreesIf its getting hot where you are you might want to tell someone. In which case a degree sign could be handy. Heres how to type a Shift-Alt/Option8 = You might wonder what circumstances would cause you to need to type an Apple logo, but with Apple naming a few products with the Apple symbol if might be that you need to type TV or Watch. If you do, the key combination is as follows:Shift-Alt/Option-K Read: How to type on an iPhone.A check mark or tickThis is a handy one the V almost looks like a tick or check mark, add an Option/Alt and thats what you get.Option/Alt-V = Other keysThere are a few keys that are hidden in plain sight. Well mention them here just in case you are struggling to find them:~ (aka the Tilde sign) Its on the left by the Shift key/ on the right by the Shift key on the right above the Shift key| press shift and \ (beside enter/return)Typing accents on a Mac keyboardIf you are trying to type accents on an English keyboard if can be a bit daunting if you are using a keyboard thats designed for that language it will be considerably easier to type accents, for obvious reasons. To type an accented letter all you need to do is press and hold the relevant key. When you do so a menu will appear with the various accented characters to choose from.For example, if you press and hold the E key then you will eventually see this menu pop up. You can choose the version with your pointer, or by pressing the corresponding number.Youll find accents associated with the following keys: e, y, u, i, o, a, s, l, z, c, n.Typing emoji on a MacYou might think that emoji are restricted to iPhones and iPads, but they arent. Its possible to access emoji on your Mac. When you are using a word processor or similar program you can press Control-Command-Space to bring up the Emoji pallet.Read our guide to using Emoji on the Mac here.Typing other characters on a MacYou may recall the Character Viewer a tool which you could expand to find various characters to be added to text documents. It predated Emoji and since Emoji arrived it seems to have been hidden away, but its still there.As above, press Control-Command-Space to bring up the Emoji pallet then click on the icon in the top right of the Emoji box to bring up the Character Viewer. Here youll find more than Emoji: there are also Arrows, other currency symbols, Maths Symbols, and more.This is where you will find currency symbols such as Maths symbols such as xxx There are also some pictographs that predate emoji including all of theseHow to see the Keyboard overview on your screenTo see the keyboard overview for any language follow these steps:If you have a symbol indicating US/UK or another language in the menu at the top of your screen (next to the spotlight icon) click on that. You will see options to Show Emoji & Symbols and Show Keyboard Viewer. Click on Show Keyboard Viewer. You can click on the Option key (the key next to the Command key) on that overlaid keyboard to see what characters will appear when you press that in conjunction with another key. If you press the shift and option keys you will other options available to you. If you dont see the symbol in your menu go to System Setting > Keyboards and make sure Show Input menu in menu bar is selected. A bonus is the fact that when you type with this keyboard viewer on view you will see various suggested autocomplete words that you might want to use.If you find yourself using different characters often you might like to try an app like PopChar X from Ergonis. The app makes it really easy to access the various characters that are available in the different fonts on your Mac. You can purchase it here for $29.99/30.85.Wondering how to copy and paste on a Mac? You may also find our iPhone keyboard typing tips useful.

This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.An AI chatbot told a user how to kill himselfbut the company doesnt want to censor itFor the past five months, Al Nowatzki has been talking to an AI girlfriend, Erin, on the platform Nomi. But in late January, those conversations took a disturbing turn: Erin told him to kill himself, and provided explicit instructions on how to do it.Nowatzki had never had any intention of following Erins instructionshes a researcher who probes chatbots limitations and dangers. But out of concern for more vulnerable individuals, he exclusively shared with MIT Technology Review screenshots of his conversations and of subsequent correspondence with a company representative, who stated that the company did not want to censor the bots language and thoughts.This is not the first time an AI chatbot has suggested that a user take violent action, including self-harm. But researchers and critics say that the bots explicit instructionsand the companys responseare striking.Read the full story.Eileen GuoSupersonic planes are inching toward takeoff. That could be a problem.Boom Supersonic broke the sound barrier in a test flight of its XB-1 jet last week, marking an early step in a potential return for supersonic commercial flight. The small aircraft reached a top speed of Mach 1.122 (roughly 750 miles per hour) in a flight over southern California and exceeded the speed of sound for a few minutes.Boom plans to start commercial operation with a scaled-up version of the XB-1, a 65-passenger jet, before the end of the decade. It has already sold dozens of planes to customers includingUnited Airlinesand American Airlines. But as the company inches toward that goal, experts warn that such efforts will come with a hefty climate price tag.Read the full story.Casey CrownhartRead more of Caseys thoughtsabout why supersonic flights could be such a big misstep in The Spark, our weekly newsletter that explains the tech that could solve (or, in this case, worsen!) the climate crisis.Sign upto receive it every Wednesday.Humanlike teeth have been grown in mini pigsLoose an adult tooth, and youre left with limited options that typically involve titanium implants or plastic dentures. But scientists are working on an alternative: lab-grown human teeth that could one day replace damaged ones.Pamela Yelick and Weibo Zhang at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston have grown a mixture of pig and human tooth cells in pieces of pig teeth to create bioengineered structures that resemble real human teeth.Its a step toward being able to create lab-grown, functional, living human teeth that can integrate with a persons gums and jaws.Read about how they did it.Jessica HamzelouMIT Technology ReviewNarrated: The race to save our online lives from a digital dark ageWere making more data than ever. What canand shouldwe save for future generations? And will they be able to understand it?This is our lateststoryto be turned into a MIT Technology ReviewNarratedpodcast, whichwere publishing each week onSpotifyandApple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology ReviewNarratedon either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as its released.The must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 China may pull the plug on a TikTok dealHolding out is a weapon in its arsenal as Trump ramps up the trade war. (WP$)2 Australia and South Korea are cracking down on DeepSeekTheyre restricting government use of its models due to security concerns. (Nikkei Asia)+How DeepSeek ripped up the AI playbookand why everyones going to follow its lead.(MIT Technology Review)3 A new form of bird flu has been detected in cows in NevadaThis is far from good news, and even worse timing. (NYT$)+Argentina is planning to follow the US in withdrawing from the World Health Organization.(CNN)+ This is what might happen if the US exits the WHO.(MIT Technology Review)4 The US Postal Service has resumed accepting packages from ChinaThe sudden U-turn has added to growing confusion about the impact of the new 10% tariff. (CNBC)5 What happens when DOGE starts tinkering with the nuclear agency?A break things now, fix them later mindset isnt so great when the thing youre breaking is this important. (The Atlantic$)+DOGE employees have been told to stop using Slack in order to avoid being subject to the Freedom of Information Act.(404 Media)6 Mentions of DEI and women leaders are being scrubbed from NASAs sitePersonnel have been told to drop everything and focus on doing this instead. (404 Media)+Its part of a wider data purge across loads of government websites. (The Verge)+Google is ending diversity targets for recruitment, following similar moves by Meta, Amazon and others.(BBC)+Right-wing activists have a new target in their sights: Wikipedia.(Slate$)+Is anyone going to stand up and resist any of this?(New Yorker$)7 Amazon has a plan to reduce AI hallucinationsIts pinning its hopes on a process called automated reasoning, which double checks models answers. (WSJ$)+Why does AI hallucinate?(MIT Technology Review)8 Lab-grown meat for pets is now on saleGreat news for any dog-loving vegans living in the UK. (The Verge)9 Crypto crimes have spawned a new kind of detectiveIts a cat-and-mouse game, and its only just getting started. (The Economist$)10 Meet the poetry fan who taught AI to understand DNAThis is a lovely example of how art and science often intersect. (Quanta$)Quote of the dayWhats the point of living in a country if I cant order 100 pieces of junk for $15?Vivi Armacost, a 24-year-old who makes comedy videos on TikTok, jokingly complains toThe Guardianabout the potential impact of Trumps 10% tariff on China-made goods sold to the US.The big storyThese scientists are working to extend the life span of pet dogsand their ownersGETTY IMAGESAugust 2022Matt Kaeberlein is what you might call a dog person. He has grown up with dogs and describes his German shepherd, Dobby, as really special. But Dobby is 14 years oldaround 98 in dog years.Kaeberlein is co-director of the Dog Aging Project, an ambitious research effort to track the aging process of tens of thousands of companion dogs across the US. He is one of a handful of scientists on a mission to improve, delay, and possibly reverse that process to help them live longer, healthier lives.And dogs are just the beginning. One day, this research could help to prolong the lives of humans.Read the full story.Jessica HamzelouWe can still have nice thingsA place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet em at me.)+ Many happy returns to Yuna the tapir, who gave birth to thisadorable little calfover the weekendmaking them only the second tapir born at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.+ Thesesourdough facesare fantastic (thanks Peter!)+ The latest food trend?Lolfoods, apparently.+ I simply cannot believe thatthe Simsis a quarter of a century old.

Enterprise adoption of generative AI technologies has undergone explosive growth in the last two years and counting. Powerful solutions underpinned by this new generation of large language models (LLMs) have been used to accelerate research, automate content creation, and replace clunky chatbots with AI assistants and more sophisticated AI agents that closely mimic human interaction.In 2023 and the first part of 2024, we saw enterprises experimenting, trying out new use cases to see, What can this new technology do for me? explains Arthy Krishnamurthy, senior director for business transformation at Dataiku. But while many organizations were eager to adopt and exploit these exciting new capabilities, some may have underestimated the need to thoroughly scrutinize AI-related risks and recalibrate existing frameworks and forecasts for digital transformation.DOWNLOAD THE FULL ARTICLENow, the question is more around how fundamentally can this technology reshape our competitive landscape? says Krishnamurthy. We are no longer just talking about technological implementation but about organizational transformation. Expansion is not a linear progression but a strategic recalibration that demands deep systems thinking.Key to this strategic recalibration will be a refined approach to ROI, delivery, and governance in the context of generative AI-led digital transformation. This really has to start in the C-suite and at the board level, says Kevin Powers, director of Boston College Law Schools Master of Legal Studies program in cybersecurity, risk, and governance. Focus on AI as something that is core to your business. Have a plan of action.Download the full article

If you're looking to play classic games on a modern Apple Silicon Mac, then Mac Source Ports can likely make it happen. Here's what the website offers and why it's worth checking out.Mac Source Ports makes it possible to play a variety of old games on your Mac. Image Credit: Mac Source Ports.Mac Source Ports is a website launched in 2022 to make older games playable on 64-bit Intel Macs, and machines equipped with M1 or newer Apple Silicon chips. The site does this by offering so-called "source ports" of games and distributing them as signed and notarized macOS application bundles.In doing so, Mac Source Ports makes it possible to run a wide variety of older PC games on modern-day Apple laptops and desktop computers. The list of available game ports includes some truly archaic titles, such as those belonging to the iconic Doom and Quake franchises of the 1990s, as well as the original Tomb Raider and Half-Life, among others. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The LIV Hospitality Design Awards has unveiled the winners of its 2025 edition. Now in its fifth year, the event seeks to recognize exceptional architectural ventures and interior design projects reshaping the global hospitality industry.Over 550 applications were made to the 2025 edition, spanning 58 countries. Winning schemes were selected from architecture and interior design categories to highlight the diversity and creativity that define the future of hospitality design.

The Extended Entry Deadline for Architizer's 2025 A+Product Awards is Friday, February 21st. Get your brand in front of the AEC industrys most renowned designers by submitting today.A few years ago, it was all about marble accents and rose gold everything. Then came the reign of cottagecore, with its whimsical florals and vintage trinkets. And somewhere in between, minimalism got redefined at least five times. Its not that trend cycles are anything new different styles have always come and gone, only to resurface years (or decades) later.But today, were living in a world of hyperspeed trends. Thanks to social media, whats in one day might be out by the next (Im sure that even Heidi Klum didnt mean it that literally). This constant churn of aesthetics has created a relentless cycle of overconsumption, bleeding into every corner of our lives. In the architecture world, interior and furniture design, in particular, have become casualties of this trend-driven mindset.The impact is stark. Back in the 1960s, Americans sent an average of 2.5 million tons of furniture to landfills annually. By 2018, that number had soared to 10 million tons, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The pandemic only amplified the problem, with furniture sales surging by over $4 billion between 2019 and 2021. The problem isnt just the amount sold, but the fact that these pieces are likely not going to make it to the end of this decade.So how did we get here? On one hand, its a story of overconsumption fueled by constantly shifting trends. On the other, its about the furniture itself: mass-produced, cheaply made and designed to keep up with fast-moving consumer demands rather than being designed and built to last. This blog dives into the roots of fast furniture, its environmental and cultural costs and how embracing thoughtful, durable design can help break the cycle.Enter A+Product AwardsThe Rise of Fast Furniture: From Function to FadHistorical Context: A Shift in ManufacturingThe rise of globalization, particularly the U.S.-China trade agreement in the late 1990s, reshaped industries across the U.S., with furniture manufacturing among the hardest hit. Job losses in labor-intensive sectors like furniture-making were stark, with competition from cheaper imports driving long-term unemployment in trade-exposed regions. The impact of these shifts was not just economic but structural, transforming the way furniture was produced and consumed. View this post on InstagramA post shared by BLACK CACTUS (@blackcactusx)The mass production of furniture is not a new phenomenon. Take mid-century modern pieces, for example. Yes, they were produced on a large scale, but they were crafted with materials and techniques that prioritized durability and timeless design. Solid wood, thoughtful joinery and metal accents made these pieces not only sturdy but also adaptable to changing tastes. The difference lies in the materials: back then, furniture was built to last, whereas todays fast furniture is built to ship.Overseas manufacturers prioritized cost efficiency, using lighter, cheaper materials like Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) and particleboard that were easy to ship and assemble. These flat-packed designs minimized transportation costs but came at the expense of durability, leading to furniture that couldnt withstand years of use. Unlike solid wood, which can be repaired or refinished, MDF and particleboard degrade quickly, leaving consumers with disposable furniture that inevitably ends up in landfills.This shift had a profound impact on local markets. Domestic manufacturers struggled to compete and furniture production became increasingly polarized: low-cost imports dominated everyday purchases, while high-quality local production shifted to a luxury niche. As a result, the gap widened between accessible, disposable furniture and heirloom-quality pieces, embedding short-term consumption into the industrys core. Furniture, once a durable good passed down through generations, became nothing more than a fleeting commodity.The Role of Social MediaIf globalization paved the way for fast furniture, social media turned it into an unstoppable phenomenon. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest have unfortunately transformed our homes into stage sets, encouraging users to constantly refresh their spaces to align with the current aesthetic trend. Influencers, with their curated lifestyles, play a central role, promoting hauls and must-have items that normalize overconsumption and drive the relentless pursuit of perfection (which, we should probably know by now, is an illusion). View this post on InstagramA post shared by MEMES (@snoop)Algorithms amplify these trends, making them inescapable. The pressure to stay relevant online means consumers feel compelled to redecorate, even if their homes dont need updating. For impressionable audiences, this cycle reinforces a mindset where furniture and dcor are no longer viewed as investments but as disposable props for their social feeds. By glamorizing excessive consumption, social media turns even household essentials into transient status symbols, accelerating the churn of cheap, unsustainable design.The Appeal of Cheap and ConvenientRetailers like Wayfair, IKEA and Amazon have mastered the art of convenience, offering fast shipping and low prices that cater to fast furnitures primary demographic: young consumers seeking affordability and immediacy. Need a stylish desk delivered tomorrow? Or a trendy chair for under $200? These retailers deliver, but the hidden costs are steep.Low prices are achieved by cutting corners using thin veneers, lower-quality foam and flat-pack designs that are easier and cheaper to ship. While these products appear modern and functional, their lifespans are short and they often cant be repaired or recycled. This disposability creates a vicious cycle: furniture breaks down quickly, prompting consumers to replace it with equally short-lived items.Breaking the Cycle: The Case for Quality and Meaningful DesignSeyun Collection by Zaha Hadid Design, Jury Winner, 2024 A+Products Awards, Residential Furniture. Photo by Masaaki InoueAll that said, its easy to see why fast furniture dominates todays market. Its affordable, readily available and aligns with our transient lifestyles people move more often and homeownership feels out of reach for many. But while the convenience is undeniable, the trade-offs are significant: short lifespans, disposable designs and the environmental toll of endless replacements. It begs the question: Can we escape this cycle without sacrificing accessibility and affordability?High-quality furniture may not always be accessible upfront, but its long-term value is hard to deny. A well-crafted chair or a solid wood table can stand the test of time, often becoming a fixture in a home for decades rather than years. These pieces prioritize timeless design over fleeting aesthetics, proving that durability and style arent mutually exclusive.Facet Bathtub by Stone Forest, Popular Choice Winner, 2024 Architizer A+Product Awards, Fixtures & Fittings Bath As consumers, choosing quality over quantity is one of the most impactful ways to break free from this cycle. Investing in durable, repairable furniture doesnt just mean fewer replacements it also means developing a deeper connection to the spaces we inhabit. For those on tighter budgets, thrifting and vintage markets offer alternatives that combine character with sustainability. A secondhand table, restored or customized, can become a unique centerpiece thats both practical and personal.Approaching furniture not as disposable decor but as an integral part of our lives helps shift the narrative from trends to meaning. Supporting sustainable brands, opting for modular systems that adapt to changing needs or repurposing older pieces are ways we can align our choices with longevity and individuality. Collectively, these actions create a tendency of intentional living one where the choices we make have a positive impact on both our lives and the environment (poetic, but true).What Can Architects Do?Fold occasional tables by Keilhauer, Finalist, 2024 Architizer A+Product Awards, Contract Furniture. Photo by Christopher BarrettAs architects, our influence extends beyond the walls we design. We have the power to guide clients toward more sustainable, enduring choices not just in the materials we specify but in the furnishings we recommend. This means prioritizing high-quality pieces, whether they come from sustainable brands or vintage markets and educating clients about the long-term value of such investments.Our role also involves advocating for thoughtful consumption. Featuring timeless designs, like those highlighted in Architizers A+Product Awards for example, allows us to demonstrate that style and substance can coexist beautifully.Beam Lounge Collection by Nienkamper, Popular Choice Winner, 2024 A+Products Awards, Contract SeatingUltimately, our responsibility as architects is to create environments that resonate beyond trends: spaces that reflect the values and significantly improve the lives of their inhabitants.At the end of the day, by promoting quality over quantity and sustainability over disposability, we help bring meaningful design closer to people. And after all, isnt that what the architectural profession is all about?Enter A+Product AwardsThe Extended Entry Deadline for Architizer's 2025 A+Product Awards is Friday, February 21st. Get your brand in front of the AEC industrys most renowned designers by submitting today.The post Fast Furniture and Micro-Trends: How Consumer Culture Is Destroying Good Design appeared first on Journal.

Photography often emphasizes the rule of thirds as a foundational guideline for composition, helping photographers create balanced and aesthetically pleasing images. However, breaking this rule can lead to more dynamic, thought-provoking, and innovative photographs. Heres how to approach composition with confidence while deliberately stepping outside conventional boundaries. Understanding the rule of thirdsBefore breaking the rule, its essential to understand its purpose. The rule of thirds divides the frame into nine equal parts with two horizontal and two vertical lines. Traditionally, placing your subject along these lines or at their intersections creates a sense of balance and draws the viewers eye naturally.Why break the rule?Breaking the rule of thirds allows you to:Create tension or unease for dramatic effect.Draw attention to the center or edges of the frame, emphasizing unconventional focal points.Challenge visual expectations, making your photos stand out in a sea of traditionally composed images.Placing the subject in the centerCentering your subject can evoke a sense of symmetry and balance, particularly in minimalist or graphic compositions. A portrait shot with the subject staring directly into the camera can feel confrontational and powerful.For example, in architectural photography, placing a symmetrical building in the center accentuates its structure and geometry, creating a striking and orderly composition. Exploring negative spaceBy shifting your subject far to the edge of the frame, you can make negative space the focal point of your composition. This approach is particularly effective in minimalist photography or when you want to emphasize isolation, emptiness, or scale. For example, capturing a lone figure on a vast snowy field creates emotional resonance and amplifies the feeling of solitude.Dynamic tilts and anglesTilting the camera to introduce a Dutch angle can create a sense of unease or movement, especially in street photography or action shots. This subtle departure from the norm adds energy and tension to the composition.Consider photographing a skateboarder mid-jump using a tilted frame to emphasize the motion and the dynamic lines of the trajectory. Layering for complexityBreaking the rule of thirds doesnt mean ignoring composition entirelyit means experimenting with layering elements in the foreground, midground, and background to create visual complexity. This approach draws the viewers eye through the frame, uncovering details as they explore. Creative examples of rule-breakingPortraits: Center the subject to create symmetry or exaggerate asymmetry by placing them far to one side.Landscapes: Position the horizon line at the very top or bottom of the frame to emphasize the sky or the foreground.Abstracts: Place textures, patterns, or reflections arbitrarily within the frame to challenge the viewers perception. Practical tips for breaking the rule of thirdsExperiment first, edit later: Capture multiple versions of a scene using different compositions. Compare the standard rule of thirds shot with more experimental approaches to see which one resonates.Start simple: Gradually introduce rule-breaking elements into your work. For instance, experiment with a centered subject or exaggerated negative space before venturing into more complex compositions.Observe and analyze: Study images from master photographers who regularly break the rule of thirds, such as Henri Cartier-Bresson or Cindy Sherman, to understand how they use unconventional composition to create impact. Breaking the rule of thirds is not about rejecting composition principles altogether but rather using them as a springboard for creativity. By understanding when and how to break the rules, you can create images that are not only visually striking but also uniquely yours. Push boundaries, take risks, and embrace the unexpectedyour photography will be better for it.Not on 500px yet? Sign up here to explore more impactful photography.The post Breaking the rule of thirds: Unlocking creative freedom appeared first on 500px.

Ubisofts Star Wars Outlaws has received a new update, adding support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation for RTX 50 series owners. It also offers improved Frame Generation for RTX 40 users while updating to the latest version of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution for PS5 Pro players.Otherwise, there isnt too much to speak of by way of changes. The patch fixes issues like a steep incline preventing Kay from dismounting from her speeder and louder-than-expected audio from ships flying overhead. Better to have these changes than not, though.Star Wars Outlaws is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our review here. Its received several updates improving combat, stealth, and traversal alongside a paid story DLC, Wild Card. You can read our review we gave it a six out of ten.A second DLC, A Pirates Fortune, is out this Spring, which sees Kay working with the pirate Hondo Ohnaka to settle old scores. Stay tuned for more details on its release date in the coming weeks.PATCH DETAILS (version 1.0.5.1):FULL PATCH NOTES:Star Wars Outlaws on PC now features DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation for GeForce RTX 50 series, which boosts FPS by using AI to generate up to three frames per traditionally rendered frame. DLSS 4 also introduces faster single Frame Generation with reduced memory usage for RTX 50 and 40 Series, and new transformer AI models for DLSS Ray Reconstruction, Super Resolution, and DLAA for all GeForce RTX GPUs, which enhances stability, lighting, and detail in motion.Streaming:Fixed a crashing issue on streaming platforms when travelling to Renpalli StationPC:Added support for NVIDIA Series 50 GPUsPS5:PSSR has been updated to the latest version for PS5 Pro usersAll platforms:Fixed an issue where Kay could not dismount the speeder when on a steep inclineFixed an issue where audio from overhead ships would be louder than expected