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Former BMW and Porsche engineers are hoping to forge a new path in bike gear by making a first-of-its-kind digital bicycle upgrade.

MacworldI had a strange experience recently. I reached for my MacBook Pro to start work at around 7 am one day (before my first coffee, even!) and discovered that the device, stowed in my bag since the day before, was alarmingly warm. Now, the machine is more than four years old and already a bit beat up. But I hadnt dropped it, nor was there any other reason to fear thermal runaway (aka imminent battery explosion). Maybe it was something to do with macOS 15.3, which I had already downloaded during the day? The computer might have tried to install the update overnight. But not when its closed, youd think.The suspicion turned out to be correct. When I opened up the Mac, its screen was completely black apart from the film of dirt built up over the past four years, which really comes into its own when the machine is switched off. I plugged the Mac into a power supply. Nothing happened at first; fearing that the battery was almost flat, I had at least expected it to display the sad face screen once power was connected.My MacBook Pro strangely decided to install a macOS updateeven though it was supposed to be asleep.Petter AhrnstedtI then pressed the power button, and after a short time, the Apple logo appeared. Five minutes later, the familiar boot process, which fills several progress bars in a row after a system update, was complete and I was able to start working on a MacBook Pro that was now getting noticeably cooler.Back to business as usual, then. But I couldnt help worrying. Sure, a desktop Mac installs downloaded system updates during the night, even if you havent shut it down in the evening but just put it to sleep. But surely a MacBook Pro thats closed and stowed away in a briefcase should sleep much deeper than a Mac mini, iMac, or Mac Studio?That was the sort of common-sense approach that I trusted Apple to adopt. Now my trust has been shaken. Who can you trust these days? Your own experience and acquired knowledge, your own intuition? Institutions like the WHO? Or a company like Apple that feels like an institution to long-standing customers?On balance, I have decided that yes, we can trust Apple, even if it seems to be doing a lot these days to squander that trust. On far more serious issues than those that result in a hot MacBook Pro.Testing our trustAt the end of January, we learned of a security gap in Apple silicon chips from M2 and A15 onwards that allows attackers to access sensitive data. According to the researcher who found the vulnerability, Apple has been aware of it for some time but has still not responded with a security update. iOS 18.3 and macOS 15.3 have closed some gaps and bolstered security, but the two vulnerabilities in SLAP and FLOP were not included. This is probably what prompted the Georgia Institute of Technology to go public.The Apple Watch has come under criticism for the safety of its bands.Dominik Tomaszewski / FoundryAt least the security researchers confirmed Apples statement that there is no immediate danger. This makes us feel better about the issue not being addressed until iOS 18.3.1 or iOS 18.4. The release of the findings may have accelerated matters, of course.In the same month, toxins were discovered in smartwatch bands. As Apple is not only the best-known brand in this sector, but also by far the market leader, a class-action lawsuit was only filed against the Cupertino-based company.Apple put out a statement insisting that its wristbands do not pose any health risks, and we trust this statement. Apple explained years ago that it would ban toxic PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances) from its products, and that this was a long-term process. The company has repeatedly succeeded in removing environmental toxins from its products, often as a pioneer for the entire industry. PVC and brominated flame retardants have both been raised as concerns in the tech industry, and both are addressed in Apples environmental FAQs.But thats the thing about trust. It doesnt matter how hard you work to earn it; once you lose it, its difficult to regain. One breach of trust could be one too many.On thin iceI havent lost my trust in Apple, and the answer to the question in the headline is yes. However, in these times when the ice of civilization is growing thinner and thinner, the smallest thing could be enough to break through and drown in the waters below.I hope Apple will prove itself more resistant to declarations about the Gulf of Mexico, tariffs, and, most of all, diversity and inclusion. Simply put, how can Cupertino make the best products if it can no longer hire the best minds in the world? And how can the company be trusted if it betrays its cherished principles? (To be fair, there have been some positive indications in this direction.) In the next pandemic, people around the world may need Apple (and Google) to prove themselves more trustworthy than the U.S. health authorities.I also have to trust that Tim Cook knew what he was doing when he donated $1M from his personal fortune for the presidential inauguration. Because theres a hell of a lot at stake, and in the end, trust is all you have.

If you want to play games on your iPhone or iPad, you're going to need a game controller, and the same is obvious for the Mac. GameSir's Cyclone 2 might be my favorite, thanks to a familiar feel and some notable features.The GameSir Cyclone 2 controller comes in a stealthy black color or a vibrant white.Sure, you can play iOS and iPadOS games using on-screen controls, and for some, that works like a charm. But for others, a controller is where it's at.For me, a controller is a must for a couple of reasons. The first is muscle memory. I've been playing games using some sort of controller since the late 1980s, and stabbing at a screen just doesn't have the feedback I need. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Sonos allegedly toyed around with making a speaker that would use MagSafe to attach to the back of an iPhone, but couldn't seem to nail down a target audience.An AI-generated image of a speaker attached to an iPhoneIf you're in the business of making products, chances are you'll come up with ideas that sound good at the time, but reveal themselves to be impractical, if not outright impossible, at some point in the design process.Apple knows this, as the company was rumored to scrap the Apple Car after the project lacked direction. And, even if it wasn't, Apple likely realized that it would never be able to sell vehicles at its expected margins. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

A new $680 million plan will develop a 'City within a city' on a 1,975-acre plot on Torontos waterfront with 14,000 new homes four years after the cancelation of the Sidewalk Labs-led Toronto Quayside plan. Construction will commence in 2026 with the goal of first occupancy by 2031. It joins the public-private partnership plan that will issue the replacement of Quaysides master plan with designs from Adjaye Associates, Alison Brooks Architects, and Henning Larsen. Torontos population is expected to grow rapidly over the next 25 years.

The remaining structure of Grenfell Tower is to be demolished, the UK government has confirmed. A major fire spread throughout the building in 2017, killing 72 people and triggering a public inquiry.The UK housing secretary Angela Rayner formally announced the decision today, while the coming months will see a specialist contractor begin developing a plan to demolish the tower. It will likely take around two years to sensitively take down the tower through a process of careful and sensitive progressive deconstruction that happens behind the wrapping, the statement said.In response to the plans, the group Grenfell United voiced opposition to the demolition. The group, which represents some bereaved families and survivors, instead pointed to an alternative proposal to keep the tower as a memorial.A separate group, Grenfell Next of Kin, said that while they understood the sensitivity and difficulty of the decision, they also understood the hard facts around safety.Related on ...

Publisher THQ Nordic and developer Alkimia Entertainment have released a new video for the Gothic remake, this time around offering us a glimpse behind the scenes at the making of the game. The video which is the first one released in a planned multi-video series focuses on explaining the essence of Gothic.The video features studio art director Daniel Candil, music composer and sound designer Kai Rosenkranz, senior game designer Hector Fuster, community manager Timur Khodyrev, level designer Alberto Relucio, studio boss and game director Reinhard Pollice, senior animator Talia Hay, and senior 3D artist Elena Candil, among others, talking about the development of the Gothic remake.Members of the development team talk about various aspects of developing Gothic, and tapping into what made the original release so special. This includes aspects like the games complete lack of hand-holding, and allowing players to get lost within its rich world, as well as its harsh combat and social dynamics.What was amazing to me the first time that I played Gothic was how you could solve a lot of situations by taking advantage of everyone, said technical artist Roger Llovera. Everyone would take advantage of you, of course, but then you have chances where you can take advantage of a character killing a Scavenger for you.In the description for the video, THQ Nordic has also mentioned that players looking forward to the Gothic remake should keep an eye out on for the next Steam Next Fest, which will take place between February 24 and March 3.Gothic doesnt yet have a release date; it is currently in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. For more details, check out the gameplay trailer that was released all the way back in August 2024.

Square Enix has revealed that its recent slate of HD game releases have made it money. In one of the slides of its recent financial results briefing, the company pointed out that Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake specifically was responsible for a rise in operating income.Interestingly, in the slide, Square Enix also points out that the game performed better than it had originally expected. Net sales totalled up to 60 billion, leading to an operating profit of 4.6 billion. For reference, the previous financial year had sales of 66.8 billion, and an operating profit of 2.7 billion. While the net sales have gone down, the operating profit has increased by 1.9 billion year over year.Some of the titles released in the previous financial year that contributed to these figures include SaGa Emerald Beyond, the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Visions of Mana, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Fantasian: Neo Dimension, and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake.The last time we heard about Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake was back in December, when the company announced that it had sold more than 2 million copies since its November 2024 release. Square Enix will be hoping to recapture this success with its planned Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake.Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Check out our review for more details.

Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersFarrow Partners and Rubinstein Ofer have been selected to design the new Negev Health City in Israel, following an invited design competition. The medical centre will be one of the largest new greenfield hospitals in the world outside of the United States.The architects were selected by a jury including the leaders of Beer Sheva municipality, Ministry of Health, the Meuhedet and Leumit health funds, and Sheba Medical Centre, based in Tel Aviv.Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersThe Negev Health City will be located in the Negev desert area in a new biotech and residential neighbourhood in the City of Beer Sheva, Israel. It will span across three million square feet and provide 1,900 new hospital beds.Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersThe guiding principle of the architects masterplan was to create a sustainable community health asset by combining health creation, civic well-being and circular urban greening strategies. The design aims to create a hospital in a garden and a garden in a hospital, through the creation of a new sloped horticultural public park.Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersSince hospitals usually have high water demand due to consumption from patient care, hygiene and treatment, the design harvests select portions of the hospitals wastewater, and recycles and treats it for use in the new park to minimize waste.The park is a continuation of a new proposed central park of the adjacent biotech and residential district, which features new tree-lined pedestrian gardens and courtyards. The north section of the park, which drapes over the roof of the main central ambulatory entrance building of the Negev Health City, creates a backyard to the medical centre.Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersThe main entrance building will feature a series of vertical garden courtyards. Other amenities, such as patient and staff lounges, rehab and fitness areas, verandas, and focused retail, will line the sides of the parks length. At the southern end of the park, a large shade canopy will provide a common terrace, alongside the main hospital restaurant.Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersThe west side of the park will be bordered by the main medical building, housing operating rooms, diagnostic imaging and intensive care units. This building will also contain inpatient units on the upper floors, with access to the new park. A new public tram will provide transport links within the medical centre and to the surrounding city.Sheba-Negev Hospital. Image credit: Farrow PartnersA series of additional buildings will become home to speciality institutes on the opposite side of the main boulevard. These will include a childrens and womens health centre, a cancer centre and a rehabilitation centre. These buildings will connect to the main ambulatory care building via bridges above the boulevard and logistics tunnels below-ground.The first phase of the development, which will consist of the central ambulatory care and main entrance building, is expected to be completed in 2031.The post Farrow Partners selected to design new medical centre in Israel appeared first on Canadian Architect.