This review contains spoilers for season 3 episode 3 of YellowjacketsFor the past two seasons, Yellowjackets has expertly toed the line between thriller and outright horror, building suspense as we wonder whether or not there are actually supernatural forces at work in the Wilderness. Trying to figure out how much is real and how much is in the survivors heads is part of what makes this show so intriguing to watch. Episode 3 Thems the Breaks doesnt just toe this line, however, it takes a high dive into horror and might just be one of the scariest episodes of the series yet.The episode begins with my current favorite pairing of the season Mari (Alexa Barajas) and Coach Ben (Steven Krueger). The two are in his secret cave, still very much at odds. Mari tries (and fails) to flirt with him in an attempt to try and stay alive before he exasperatedly tells her that hes gay, and even if he wasnt he definitely wouldnt be interested. Even after she accidentally sprays them both in the eyes with mace in an attempt to escape, Ben decides to cut her free and let her go. A kindness which she almost immediately repays by giving him up to the others.And so the witch hunt begins. Mari leads the others back to the caves, where they end up splitting up to try and find him. One group, Shauna (Sophie Nlisse), Van (Live Hewson), and Akilah (Nia Sondaya) crawls through a tunnel that takes them on the worst trip of their lives and through one of the most haunting hallucinations weve seen yet.Van envisions herself in the cabin nearly consumed by flames. Shauna sees her son on the shore of the lake and nearly drowns making her way to him. Akilah is nearly consumed by the earth that she tends to so well. And then they all come together in the same hallucination featuring Jackie (Ella Purnell), a lethal slap bracelet, and the man with no eyes. The Wilderness is hungry for a sacrifice after all these months without one and will clearly do whatever it takes to get one.Eventually, they regain consciousness thanks to Ben pulling them away from the poison gas that is supposedly causing these hallucinations. The rest of the group finds them and captures Ben. But if he truly wanted them all dead, why would he have saved them from the poison gas? Its starting to look like Ben might not have actually set that fire after all. Or at least wasnt conscious of it.The Wilderness may be screaming at the survivors in the past, but it isnt exactly quiet in the present either. Van (Lauren Ambrose) discovers that her cancer might be in remission, and Tai (Tawny Cypress) is very quick to celebrate it as a gift from the Wilderness after the waiters death. We see her actively pray to the Wilderness while Van looks at her with slight terror.Later that night while watching old recorded episodes of Pee-wees Playhouse, Tai and Van see the man with no eyes in a commercial for a now closed ice cream parlor from when they were kids. They decide to go investigate the building and see a coyote kill a rabbit, to which Van says We know what It wants. It wants more.Speaking of sacrifices, Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) and Misty (Christina Ricci) have a near-death experience when they realize that the brakes on Shaunas minivan have been tampered with while on the road and go careening into a nearby park. Someone seems to have it out for Shauna, and doesnt seem to care who gets caught in the crossfire. I also submit this scene as evidence that the music supervisor for this show deserves a raise because playing Nookie by Limp Bizkit as the background song for this scene is an impeccable choice.Meanwhile, Lottie (Simone Kessell) and Callie (Sarah Desjardins) have been having a girls day, shopping, bonding, and preparing dinner for the family. Until Shauna returns home to see Callie wearing Jackies necklace. Furious, she confronts Lottie, wondering how she even got it in the first place. Lottie calmly, yet ominously tells her It never meant what you thought it meant, to which Shauna replies by kicking Lottie out of the house in a rage.Thems the Brakes packs a mighty big punch for only being the third episode of the season. From literally screaming at the survivors through the sounds of the forest to causing mass hallucinations to making its presence known in the present, the Wilderness is making it clear that it cant be ignored any longer. Which will likely mean, as the Drowning Pool song playing in the trailer seemed to promise, that bodies will be hitting the floor sooner rather than later.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Last season featured multiple instances of cannibalism, and yet this still might be the scariest and most unsettling episode in the series thus far in the best possible way. It feels like the Wilderness is making its presence known to us as well, insisting that its very real and very hungry. And after watching this episode, I too am ravenous for more.The first three episodes of Yellowjackets season 3 are available to stream on Paramount+ now. New episodes will premiere Fridays on Paramount+ and Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Showtime.Learn more about Den of Geeks review process and why you can trust our recommendationshere.

Photographer Shaniqwa Jarvis is a winner. As her Instagram handle, @sheekswinsalways, attests, she sets out to do her best, always, whether shes capturing the likeness of one of her many illustrious subjectsQuinta Brunson, Gabrielle Union, and Simone Biles have all sat for heror settling into her first Los Angeles home.Shaniqwa JarvisArtist and photographer Shaniqwa Jarvis in the living room of the Los Angeles home she shares with artist and filmmaker Raj Debah, designed by Office of BC. When she and her partner Raj Debah, an artist, writer, and film director, started looking for a house in Los Angeles, their primary concern was vibes, good energy being, after all, the surefire sister to success. When Jarvis walked into her 1,800-square-foot, three-bedroom Mount Washington home for the first time, the vibes were almost uncanny. The moment I stepped over the threshold I knew this was my house, Jarvis says. When youre Black and buying a home, there are moments when you can tell that the owner isnt selling to anyone who is Black. But when we walked into this house, me, the former owner, and our agent, Kenya Reeves-Costa, all looked at each other like, wow. Not just because we were all Black womenbut also because we were all Black women. Jarvis FaceTimed Debah and told him she thought the house was meant to be theirs.Shaniqwa JarvisGregory Ricks The Weeping Time hangs above a Tom Sachs chair in the hallway.In early 2021, as the papers were being signed, Jarvis and Debah reached out to Jerome Byron and Lindsey Chan of the local design firm Office of BC. Byron and Chan met while working for French-Canadian creative director Willo Perron, and between them they have experience working for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Pritzker Prize winner Francis Kr, and Barkow Leibinger in Berlin. They took from these firms a precise attention to detail, an informed 20th-century historicism, and an unfettered approach to color and form, all of which show themselves in Jarvis and Debahs home. Jarvis had heard great things about their work from mutual friend Jon Gray of Ghetto Gastro. The clients and designers clicked immediately. Step Inside This Artful HavenEven before you step inside, blue tiles lining the floor outside the homes second-story entrance suggest a cerebral, calming iteration of domestic bliss. Inspired by Le Corbusiers Maison La Roche, the custom Fireclay tiles continue through most of the homes interior. Chan and Byrons brief was to unify the home and bring in more color and light. The midcentury house needed a few adjustments to make it livable, each change demanding careful planning and a sensitive material palette. Amy ChinCustom Fireclay tiles cover most of the homes floors, including the hallway. Melissa Josephs Porch Sitting hangs above a chair by Pierre Guariche.The fireplace in the open-plan living room was updated from an incongruous white marble to a warm African mahogany. The custom sofa was made from the same mahogany and topped with banana-hued linen cushions. Above, a gallery wall of works by friends like Nina Chanel Abney, Martine Syms, and Dana Robinson underlines Jarvis and Debahs commitment to their community. The couple show support by collecting their loved ones work.Amy ChinIn the primary bathroom, green zellige tiles from Cl cover the walls and floor. Hosts of frequent game nights, Jarvis and Debah needed two distinct dining areas: a more formal entertaining space across from the living area, outfitted with a Rainer Daumiller table and Ulferts Mbler chairs underneath a painting by Maia Ruth Lee (another artist friend, who Jarvis and Debah celebrated at home on the occasion of her last show at Franois Ghebaly); and a custom breakfast banquette in the eat-in kitchen.Amy ChinThe fireplace surround and shelving are clad in African mahogany veneer. Sculpture on middle shelf by PJ Harper. Storage is discreetly built into every possible corner of the home, including the hallway that leads from the entrance to the private quarters at the back of the house. The primary bedroom is painted in Benjamin Moores Lead Gray, an inky hue meant to facilitate deep sleep. The rest of the room is sparsely adorned, with two paintings by Bahati Simoens hung above matching nightstands from Sugi House.Amy ChinThe custom Fireclay tiles also line the floor outside the entrance. Exterior walls painted in Benjamin Moores Revere Pewter.The primary bath is just as minimal, albeit lighter, with canal-green Moroccan tiles from Cl lining every surface; glass blocks in the portrait window overlook the couples kidney-shaped swimming pool outside. For me, living in this house has been a fantastic dream, Debah says. Amy ChinIn the dining area, a painting by Maia Ruth Lee hangs above a vintage pine Rainer Daumiller table and Swedish Ulferts Mbler chairs. Our friend Martine Rose came over, looked around, and said, You have good taste, but you also like to have fun, Jarvis adds. She saw us in the space and felt it was the perfect balance. All in all, the home is a success and a testament to the importance of good energy.

I guess Im far from alone in having non-techy friends ask my advice on which Apple device to buy. I always start by asking whats important to them, and what they want to do with it.For Macs, my advice changed significantly after the launch of the M1 MacBook Air. Prior to that, my answer to the question which Mac should I buy for basic tasks like email, web, and writing was quite often buy an iPad and keyboard instead For the average person with undemanding needs it was easier to use, had a more compact form factor, offered better battery life, was instant-on/off and gave the option of on-board cellular.That changed with the launch of the M1 MacBook Air, however. Unlike the Intel models, the portability and battery life offered by Apple Silicon closed the gap to such an extent that the compromises involved in iPadOS no longer make sense for most.My default recommendation these days, applicable in a good 80-90% of cases, is to buy the base MacBook Air, bumping up the RAM if budget permits. Thats even more applicable today, when $999 buys you a 13-inch M2 model with 16GB RAM, and supports Apple Intelligence. Where iPhones were concerned, if one of the primary uses was as a camera then that immediately pointed to the latest Pro or Pro Max. If not, then things got complicated!Depending on the features they needed or wanted, the best bang for their buck might be the current base model, the Plus, or the Pro. It might be last years base model, or last years Pro. It might be the SE.But with the launch of the iPhone 16e, and the simplification of the rest of the line-up, the choice gets easier. Todays options are:iPhone 15iPhone 16eiPhone 16iPhone 16 Pro or Pro MaxPhotographers with sufficiently deep pockets are still advised to get one of the Pro models, though by a smaller margin than usual.The iPhone 15 is essentially ruled out by the lack of Apple Intelligence support. Thats not a big deal right now, but for anyone who intends to keep their phone for 2-3 years or more, it will certainly become a very big differentiator in time.But between the 16e and the 16, if you dont need the camera features then theres really not much reason to opt for the more expensive option.Thats not to say its never worth it. You might really love the Dynamic Island; you might appreciate the extra brightness in sunlight; you might not want to leave the house without your MagSafe wallet.But this is another MacBook Air versus MacBook Pro situation. Unless theres a specific MBP feature you need, the MBA is going to be the way to go. For non-photographers, the iPhone 16e just became my default iPhone recommendation.Photo: 9to5Mac collage of images from Apple and Matthew McBrayeronUnsplashAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

ScreenshotThe iPhone 16e is a unique phone for many reasons. The most notable feature, however, is that it includes Apples first-ever cellular modem, the C1. In an interview with Reuters this week, Johny Srouji, Apples Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, teased that the C1 is just the start of Apples work in this industry.Meanwhile, Andru Edwards also had the opportunity to tour Apples modem testing labs for a behind-the-scenes look at what went into the development of the new C1 modem.In the Reuters interview, Srouji said:We build a platform for generations. C1 is the start, and were going to keep improving that technology each generation, so that it becomes a platform for us that will be used to truly differentiate this technology for our products.Srouji also said that Apple didnt set out to match the specifications of modems created by other companies like Qualcomm. Instead, the company prioritized meeting the specific needs of Apple products. Were not the merchant vendor to go compete with Qualcomm and MediaTek and others. I believe were building something truly differentiating that our customer will benefit from, he explained.Andrus video offers a fascinating look inside Apples modem testing labs, where the C1 underwent rigorous evaluation before making its way to the iPhone 16e.Andru also got the rundown on a handful of interesting C1 features and considerations in conversations with Srouji and Arun Mathias, Apples VP of wireless software. One of the most interesting tidbits is how the C1 interacts with the A18 chip in the iPhone 16e.For example, in a congested network area, the A18 chip in the iPhone 16e can instruct the C1 modem to dynamically manage traffic, prioritizing your needs in real-time. If youre trying to send a photo or video to someone, for instance, the A18 will tell the C1 to prioritize that network traffic over other data tasks.Additionally, Apple says that the baseband modem in the C1 is manufactured with a 4-nanometer fabrication technology, while the transceiver is made with a 7-nanometer technology. I highly recommend watching Andrus video, which weve embedded below.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Unelected White House budget slasher and richest man in the world Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency has ripped through the federal government like a bull in a china shop.The billionaire's hodge-podge team of underqualified 20-somethings and at least one literal teenager have already ripped up countless government contracts and fired thousands of federal employees only to rehire those who were in charge of nuclear security and protecting the US from a looming bird flu crisis.It's a spectacular level of incompetence that has Americans increasingly furious, as a new Washington Post-Ipsos poll shows.A whopping 49 percent of respondents said they disapproved of the "job that Elon Musk is doing within the federal government," while only 34 approved. The degree of animosity shouldn't be understated either, with 41 percent "strongly" disapproving, while only eight percent "somewhat" disapproved.When asked about Musk shutting down "federal government programs that he decides are unnecessary,"52 percent of all respondents disapproved, while only 26 percent approved.And 63 percent of respondents said they were "concerned" about Musk's DOGE boys "getting access to some federal government databases that have Americans' personal Social Security, Medicare and tax information."Unsurprisingly, the political divide is pretty stark, with 69 percent of respondents who identify as "conservative" approving of the job that Musk is doing, while only seven percent of "liberal" respondents said they approved.Previous polling painted a damning picture of the entrepreneur's popularity, showing that his public support, even among Trump supporters, is dropping precipitously. A The Economist and YouGov poll found earlier this month that a mere 25 percent of Trump voters said that Musk should have "a lot" of influence on the Trump administration compared to 51 percent just days after the election.Even independent voters are becoming concerned about Musk's reckless approach.One independent white woman from Texas said in her response to the WaPo-Ipsos poll that "hiring Elon Musk to gut the government" was the worst thing the president had done. "Elon Musk may be a brilliant man," she said, "but he is not good working with people and does not know what he is doing quite frankly."Conservatives are also concerned about Musk's activities, with 37 percent of Republican-leaning voters saying they were "somewhat" concerned about Musk getting access to their data.A separate poll conducted by CNN, the results of which were released today, found that 54 percent of Americans said that "giving Elon Musk a prominent role in [Trump's] administration" was a "bad thing," while only 28 percent said it was a "good thing."A Pew Research Center survey also corroborates that growing disillusionment, with just over half of US adults saying they have an "unfavorable view of Musk," 36 percent of whom have a "very unfavorable" opinion. Only 11 percent,tellingly, had a "very favorable" view of Musk.The outspoken fury against the billionaire is also dragging down his business interests, with waves of protesters targeting Tesla dealerships around the world. The Washington Post also recently reported that there's growing sentiment among the EV maker's employees that Musk has become "disengaged" from his role as CEO. Some managers even expressed that the company would be better off without him.Indeed, the carmaker is feeling the hurt in large part due to Musk's actions, with year-over-year car sales falling in 2024, despite the global EV market growing 25 percent. Sales are also plummeting across Europe, further highlighting the mercurial entrepreneur's extreme divisiveness.A poll conducted over the President's Day weekend also showed that US voters are becoming less likely to either buy or lease a Tesla.If there's one person who knows very well just how unpopular dismantling the US government could be, it's Musk himself. During an October town hall at his social media platform Twitter-formerly-X, a month before Trump won the election, he said that people would likely be "upset" following his attempts to purportedly "balance the budget immediately.""Ill probably need a lot of security, but its got to be done," he said at the time. "And if its not done, well just go bankrupt."Whether the billionaire will end up being right about that last bit, let alone get anywhere near balancing the budget, remains to be seen.In fact, his reckless approach could prove disastrous for the economy. As University of California professor and former Department of Labor economist Jesse Rothstein argued in a recent post on Bluesky, a massive jolt in unemployment following sweeping layoffs could result in a "deep, deep recession.""Add on to that enormous private market uncertainty how could you hire in these conditions? and this is going to be very, very bad," he added.More on Musk's popularity: Public Support for Elon Musk Is Plummeting, Even Among Trump VotersShare This Article

Feb 21, 2025Ravie LakshmananDark Web / CybercrimeThe threat actors behind the Darcula phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platform appear to be readying a new version that allows prospective customers and cyber crooks to clone any brand's legitimate website and create a phishing version, further bringing down the technical expertise required to pull off phishing attacks at scale.The latest iteration of the phishing suite "represents a significant shift in criminal capabilities, reducing the barrier to entry for bad actors to target any brand with complex, customizable phishing campaigns," Netcraft said in a new analysis.The cybersecurity company said it has detected and blocked more than 95,000 new Darcula phishing domains, nearly 31,000 IP addresses, and taken down more than 20,000 fraudulent websites since it was first exposed in late March 2024.The biggest change incorporated into Darcula is the ability for any user to generate a phishing kit for any brand in an on-demand fashion."The new and remastered version is now ready for testing," the core developers behind the service said in a post made on January 19, 2025, in a Telegram channel that has over 1,200 subscribers."Now, you can also customize the front-end yourself. Using darcula-suite, you can complete the production of a front-end in 10 minutes."To do this, all a customer has to do is provide the URL of the brand to be impersonated in a web interface, with the platform employing a browser automation tool like Puppeteer to export the HTML and all required assets.Users can then select the HTML element to replace and inject the phishing content (e.g., payment forms and login fields) such that it matches the look and feel of the branded landing page. The generated phishing page is then uploaded to an admin panel."Like any Software-as-a-Service product, the darcula-suite PhaaS platform provides admin dashboards that make it simple for fraudsters to manage their various campaigns," security researcher Harry Freeborough said."Once generated, these kits are uploaded to another platform where criminals can manage their active campaigns, find extracted data, and monitor their deployed phishing campaigns."Besides featuring dashboards that highlight the aggregated performance statistics of the phishing campaigns, Darcula v3 goes a step further by offering a way to convert the stolen credit card details into a virtual image of the victim's card that can be scanned and added to a digital wallet for illicit purposes. Specifically, the cards are loaded onto burner phones and sold to other criminals.The tool is said to be currently in the internal testing stage. In a follow-up post dated February 10, 2025, the malware author posted the message: "I have been busy these days, so the v3 update will be postponed for a few days."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Feb 21, 2025The Hacker NewsIdentity Security / Threat PreventionIn today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, weak identity security isn't just a flawit's a major risk that can expose your business to breaches and costly downtime. Many organizations are overwhelmed by an excess of user identities and aging systems, making them vulnerable to attacks. Without a strategic plan, these security gaps can quickly turn into expensive liabilities.Join us for "Building Resilient Identity: Reducing Security Debt in 2025" and discover smart, actionable strategies to protect your business against modern cyber threats.This webinar offers you a chance to cut through the complexity of identity security with clear, practical solutions. Our seasoned experts will show you how to detect risks early, optimize your resources, and upgrade your systems to stay ahead of emerging threats.What You'll Learn:Spot Hidden Risks: Uncover how weaknesses in identity security can lead to significant breaches and extra costs.Step-by-Step Solutions: Follow an easy-to-understand roadmap to address and fix critical vulnerabilities.Future-Proof Your Security: Learn how to continuously evolve your security measures to keep hackers at bay.Meet the Experts:Karl Henrik Smith Senior Product Marketing Manager of SecurityAdam Boucher Director of Service Sales for the Public SectorThey will simplify complex security challenges into smart, straightforward actions that you can start using immediately. This is a must-attend event for anyone serious about making informed decisions and building a robust, resilient identity security framework.Register Now to take the first step towards a safer, smarter future. Don't let security gaps jeopardize your businesslearn the proactive, effective strategies that will secure your organization for 2025 and beyond.Found this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

2023 Serpentine Pavilion designer was unanimous favourite among shortlist of big names including David ChipperfieldLina Ghotmeh has clinched the job to redesign a third of the British Museums galleries following an international competitionLina Ghotmeh Architecture has been announced as the winner of an international competition to redesign a third of the British Museums galleries, including the space which houses the Elgin Marbles.Practice founder Lina Ghotmeh, the designer of the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion, triumphed over a host of big names to win the prestigious commission, including David Chipperfield Architects and Eric Parry.The Lebanese born and Paris-based architect, a rising star in the global architectural circles, emerged as the unanimous favourite in the second stage of the competition, the museum said.Ghotmeh's proposals for the Western Range1/4show captionShe is said to have impressed judges with her deep understanding and sensitivity towards the Bloomsbury museums buildings and the complexity of how diverse visitor groups interact with its collections.Ghotmehs vision is also said to have resonated with the judging panel because of her archeological approach to architectural design.She is said to have likened each new project to an archaeological dig, looking at a buildings past to support the reimagination and story of its future, with sustainability at its heart and a close observance to the use of natural materials.The panel felt this sentiment resonated with the Museums collection which spans two million years of human history.The competition win follows a string of high profile projects designed by Ghotmeh, who was nominated for the Mies Van der Rohe Award in 2017, including the recently completed Herms Leather Workshop in Normandy and the Estonian National Museum in Tartu.British Museum chairman George Osborne, the former chancellor under David Cameron who became chair of the museum in 2021, said: We set out to find the best and I believe weve found her.In Lina Ghotmeh we have an architect who combines a deep sensitivity to the history of our great collection while being a voice for the future, he said.We had many outstanding entries and I thank the other practices for all their hard work but I can say as chair of the judging panel, she was the standout winner.Osborne said Ghotmehs design ideas had excited and enthused the trustees, adding that he believes they will produce a similar effect on visitors as the museums original buildings did when they were first opened in the early 19th century.The museums director Nicholas Cullinan described Ghotmeh as an architect of extraordinary grace and gravitas.Lina Ghotmeh and Nicholas Cullinan in the Western RangeHer teams proposals demonstrated an exceptional and materially sensitive architectural vision for the British Museum, and their archaeological approach clearly understood the ambition for this project to be as much an intellectual transformation as an architectural one, he said.Ghotmeh said: My team and I are thrilled to embark on this journey for the renovation of the Western Range of the British Museum. This competition has been an exciting process shaped by dialogue and multiple voices. I am looking forward to continuing this rich and collaborative process as we work towards transforming this section of the museum into an extraordinary space a place of connections for the world and of the world.Four other teams were shortlisted in the second stage of the competition, led by practices Eric Parry and Jamie Fobert Architects, David Chipperfield Architects, 6a Architects and OMA.

Source: Chris DaltonSource: Chris DaltonSource: Chris DaltonSource: Chris DaltonSource: Chris DaltonSource: Chris DaltonSource: Chris DaltonSource: Chris Dalton1/8show captionZaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has completed the conversion of Palazzo Capponi in Rome into a luxury hotel. Located on Via di Ripetta, near Piazza del Popolo, the 16th-century building has undergone significant restoration and adaptation, introducing contemporary architectural interventions while responding to the sites complex history.The design, led by ZHA director Paola Cattarin, draws on Romes tradition of layered architectural history, in which Baroque and Renaissance structures were built atop their Roman predecessors. It was one of the last projects that Zaha Hadid was directly involved before her death in 2016.The hotel contains 74 bedrooms and suites.The project takes inspiration from Romes masonry vaults, reinterpreting their structural forms to create new spatial configurations throughout the building. Vaults appear in various forms across the hotels interiors, with ZHA applying its characteristic free-flowing geometries to ceilings, walls, and furniture.Materials include Macassar ebony, Nero Marquina marble, and Carrara Statuarietto marble. Some suites on the piano nobile incorporate restored 17th-century frescoes, while upper-floor rooms have private terraces with views over the city.Source: Chris DaltonSource: Chris DaltonSource: Chris DaltonSource: Chris DaltonSource: Chris Dalton1/5show captionPalazzo Capponi has undergone multiple alterations throughout its history, including substantial modifications during the mid-20th century when it was occupied by Italys National Institute for Assistance of Accidents at Work (INAIL). The existing fabric required extensive structural reinforcement, with surveys revealing the need for substantial stabilisation.Due to heritage protection requirements, mechanical and electrical services could not be embedded within the original walls. Instead, a secondary internal skin has been installed throughout the building, creating a narrow cavity to house services while preserving the structure.Source: Chris DaltonA previously undocumented Roman bottega (workshop) was discovered during excavation worksDuring excavation works for the hotels garden, a previously undocumented Roman bottega (workshop) was discovered, featuring stonework dating back approximately 2,000 years. In response, a 90 sq. m subterranean gallery was created beneath the garden to preserve the remains. A glazed ceiling allows visitors to view the site from above, forming the base of the hotels swimming pool.Project teamArchitect: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)Design: Zaha Hadid and Patrik SchumacherStructural Engineers: Studio Beta srlMEP Consultants: Spring srlLighting: Corte Gherardi sncWater Features: Fluidra Engineering SluSpecial Structures: EOSS ArchitetturaInterior Furnishings: ARTE+PARTNERS-BRAGA spa, Barretta srl, Devoto Design srlConstruction Company: Mannelli Costruzioni srl, Ga.Re.Co. srl

Amazon is expected to announce a major artificial intelligence upgrade for itsvoice assistant Alexanext week, which could change how we interact with this popular piece ofsmart home tech. Amazon sent out media invites for a Feb. 26 event in New York City, and Amazon's Devices and Services team lead Panos Panay is scheduled to speak.Panay joined Amazon in 2023 after spending decades at Microsoft, where he helped shape the Surface product line.The event is expected to preview Alexa's long-rumored generative AI voice capabilities, which could significantly enhance its ability to engage in more natural, contextual conversations and complete multistep tasks.If announced, this would mark Alexa's most significant evolution since its debut in 2014. Although Amazon has long been a leader in the AI assistant space, the landscape is rapidly shifting. Companies like OpenAI, Google and Anthropic are rolling out increasingly sophisticated AI assistants capable of multitasking and completing complex requests.Alexa currently processes one command at a time. Last month, OpenAI introduced a new AI agent called Operator, which aims to handle everyday tasks like making dinner reservations, ordering groceries and filling out forms. Amazon told CNET that the event will highlight the latest innovations from the Alexa team but did not provide further details.With more than half a billion Alexa-enabled devices in homes worldwide, a generative AI upgrade could reshape how users interact with voice assistants, and potentially introduce a paid tier for more advanced capabilities. Reuters reported that Amazon has considered charging between $5 and $10 per month for the service, while keeping the original version of Alexa free.Apple is also rumored to ramp up its smart home efforts with a Siri-powered, wall-mounted display designed to control household devices such as thermostats, lights and appliances.Predicted to launch in March, the device is expected to be part of Apple's push to compete more aggressively in the smart home market, where it has historically trailed Google and Amazon.