Theres something so captivating about a space that balances drama with restraint. In the Traditional Minimalist Apartmentdesigned by Paliychuk Olgawe see how bold meets refined. We do see a muted palette and clean lines dominating the space. But simultaneously, this space is a masterclass in contrast. From deep, sultry hues to sleek black finishes, this moody minimalist apartment embraces a less-is-more philosophy. The result? A space that feels effortlessly chic!The living room sticks to a neutral color palette with beige walls. It adds visual interest with accent hues. These can be seen through the plush olive green sectional sofa and curtains. A dark gray accent chair complements the dark gray paint and shelvingacting as the sleek entertainment complex. Together, these design features add pops of color.The windows are large, allowing natural light to flood in. A shiny gold coffee table diversifies textures while adding luxury. In the hallway toward the back of the living area, we see matte black doors adding visual interest. Pendant lights illuminate the compact hallway, while the cylindrical mirror at the end opens up the space.At the back of the living space is the open-floor kitchen and dining. Here, gray tiles are used for the floor as well as backsplash. Their horizontal and vertical lines instantly add visual interest. In the center, a matte black wooden dining table is paired with similarly-hued chairs. The kitchen itself is lined with black cabinetry, tying the space together. We love the gold faucet and sleek rod pendant light factoring in luxury. This is paired with a large window without any treatments and smaller spotlights on the ceiling. Finally, large oversized plants add life to the space.The bedroom is an affair of beige and black. The walls are two-toned, using beige for the upper part. The lower partaligned with the black workstation and bedis darker-hued. A minimalist bookshelf sitting low to the floor allows plenty of room to store books. Nearby, an oversized potted plant is illuminated with natural light entering from the window.This bathroom is as moody and sophisticated as it gets! Maroon tiling is paired with a darker-hued marble. A toilet and bidet, as well as the sleek double vanity, make sure the space is as functional as is stylish. The lighting fixtures are strategically highlighting just the right design elements.This bathroom, on the other hand, uses peach tiling and white marble. The dark vanity factors in a stunning contrast.

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MacworldIts not every February we get an iPhone announcementin fact, its rarely February. But rarely doesnt mean never, and on Wednesday, Apple took the wraps off the iPhone 16e, a new model that brings cutting-edge internals to an older form factor.But tempted as you might be to call the 16e the fourth-generation iPhone SE, this new model doesnt precisely fit the mold. For one thing, this is the first time Apple is using this new lower-end iPhone to launch a brand new piece of technology. For another, this lower-cost iPhone isnt exactly as low cost as its predecessors.Suffice it to say, the iPhone 16e isnt your parents iPhone SE. But after almost a decade of those models, Apple seems to be taking a slightly different tack this time around.Whats in a letter?The iPhone SEs name dates back to its first generation, introduced in 2016. It both hearkened back to an earlier agethe classic Macintosh SE from the late 1980sas well as paving the way for later products with the same moniker, such as the Apple Watch SE.While its part of the iPhone 16 lineup, the iPhone 16e is very different from its brethren.AppleBut with iPhone 16e, Apples returning to a naming style it hasnt really used since at least 2018s iPhone XS/XR models if not all the way back to the iPhone 6s in 2015. While Apples naming schemes are often the thing of tea leaves and Kremlinology, its hard not to wonder if theres something to be divined here. Im concerned less with the e (which, Im sure, doesnt stand for any one thing, though Apple would probably be plenty happy if it was interpreted as for efficiency) than with the use of 16.After all, nothing in particular calls this out as an iPhone 16it doesnt even resemble the rest of the 16 line, given its use of a notched display rather than the Dynamic Island, the lack of a Camera Control button, and the fact that its dimensions are exactly those of the iPhone 14. (A model that Apple continued to sell right up until the 16es announcement, which also happens to conveniently make it the oldest model for which the company likely still had a working production line.)Does Apple tying this to the 16 lineup presage more frequent updates for this lower-end phone? In the past, the iPhone SE was updated only every few years. But perhaps calling it the iPhone 16e should have us expecting an iPhone 17e next winter? Or, at the very least, an iPhone 18e two years hence? It may, in large part, depend on just how fast the companys future Apple Intelligence features are expected to outrun the A18 chip on which the 16e is based.Value over budgetIn the past, the iPhone SE has been Apples lower-cost alternative. Notice I dont say cheap or inexpensive. While the first- and second-generation iPhone SE models both debuted at $399, the third-generation jumped up slightly to $429. The iPhone 16e, by comparison, starts at $599. Thats markedly higherperhaps another reason that Apple may have elected not to continue the SE name, lest consumers expect it to carry a similar price tag.Granted, the 16e has a number of components that no doubt make it more expensive to produce, not least of all its substantially larger OLED screen and twice the storage capacity of the third-generation SE (and you know how Apple loves to command a price premium for its storage tiers). As a result, its effectively about halfway between the cost of those original SE models and the iPhone 14 on which its based. Its also just $100 cheaper than the price Apple usually uses for its previous years phone (the iPhone 15, currently, which goes for $699), helping the company continue its time-honored strategy of staking out price points at every $100 increment.The iPhone 15 is still available but it cannot run Apple Intelligence.David Price / FoundryBut it also means that the company is leaving a lot of pricing room underneath the 16e. Could that herald older model phones being sold at even lower prices? Or a price drop in some subsequent year of the 16es availability? When it comes to Apple, the smart bet is that the companys never going to leave money on the table. If Apples charging an even more expensive price for this phone, thats because it knows the market will pay for it. There may be cheaper Android phones for those who are purely buying on cost, but Apple also knows that the people who are going to buy an iPhone are willing to pay for it, so why not charge more?C is for cellularOne major element that makes the 16e stand apart from the SE models that preceded it is the fact that Apple is using the phone as a testbed for a major hardware change: the inclusion of its own wireless cellular chip, which its dubbed the C1.Rumors of an Apple-built modem have sprung eternal for years; the company bought Intels modem business for a cool billion more than half a decade ago, and theres been plenty of expectation that the company planned to build its own radioafter all, Apple loves to control its core technologiesbut reports suggested development ran into repeated challenges. Modem technology is notoriously tricky, with multiple networks and frequency bands across the world, plenty of edge cases, and a low tolerance for failure.Deploying the C1 in the 16e first allows the company to cover several bases: first, the model caters to a more price-sensitive and thus perhaps less performance-sensitive market that presumably wont be as upset if the chip is not as competitive with offerings from other manufacturers; second, the 16e will likely sell in lower volumes than newer models this fall, allowing Apple to ramp up production more slowly; and third, it allows the company to get ahead of any bugs or flaws that could impede a larger roll-out, either with this falls models or next year.Apples said little about the C1, other than using its own chip allowed it to wring more battery life out of the 16e, which is exactly the kind of metric that customers of these lower-cost devices are likely to valuethe same reason youll see Apple touting the durability of the phones aluminum enclosure and Ceramic Shield glass. After all, these things have to last until at least the iPhone 17e.Get all the details on the new iPhone 16e.Apple iPhone 16e

Google has unveiled an AI co-scientist built on its Gemini 2.0 platform, aiming to accelerate scientific research by generating novel hypotheses and refining experiments. While the system shows promise, questions remain about its performance and broader applicability.The system aims to accelerate scientific discoveries by generating research hypotheses, drafting proposals, and refining experiments.The AI co-scientist is a multi-agent AI system that is intended to function as a collaborative tool for scientists, Google said in a blog post. Beyond standard literature review, summarization and deep research tools, the AI co-scientist system is intended to uncover new, original knowledge and to formulate demonstrably novel research hypotheses and proposals, building upon prior evidence and tailored to specific research objectives.The development comes at a time when scientists increasingly struggle with information overload, facing challenges in keeping up with the rapid pace of scientific publications while trying to draw insights from multiple disciplines.Mixed results in early testsEarly trials yielded mixed results. In tests with 15 research goals, the system outperformed state-of-the-art models according to an Elo rating system. A smaller study involving 11 research goals, evaluated by domain experts, found the outputs novel and potentially impactful. However, the limited scale of human evaluation makes it difficult to draw broad conclusions.For example, the AI identified potential treatments for liver fibrosis, but Steven OReilly of Alcyomics noted in a New Scientist report that the drugs were well established and there is nothing new here. However, Gary Peltz of Stanford University found two AI-recommended drugs promising in human liver organoid tests, while his manually selected options were ineffective.In another case, according to the New Scientist, Jos Penads of Imperial College London and his colleagues used the system to explore how mobile genetic elements spread between bacteria. The AI independently proposed a mechanism similar to their recent unpublished discovery, showcasing its ability to synthesize published data into insightful hypotheses.While Penads team had recently discovered that these elements could utilize tails from different phases, the AI Co-Scientist independently proposed the same mechanism, showcasing its ability to synthesize published data into insightful hypotheses, the New Scientist report added.Bridging the breadth and depth conundrumScientific breakthroughs often emerge from transdisciplinary collaboration. However, researchers face challenges navigating the vast volume of scientific literature while integrating insights from diverse fields.Inspired by breakthroughs like CRISPR, which combined expertise from microbiology to genetics, Google developed AI Co-Scientist to address these challenges by synthesizing information and uncovering novel knowledge.The tool, which is still in its experimental phase, allows scientists to input research questions or goals. These agents can also access scientific literature, databases, and tools like Googles AlphaFold protein-structure prediction system to enhance the quality of their outputs.These AI systems play a pivotal role in transforming traditional scientific research processes by accelerating dataset analysis and hypothesis generation, enhancing experimental design through an automated and iterative approach, and fostering a symbiotic collaboration between human researchers and AI systems, said Charlie Dai, VP and principal analyst at Forrester.Potential impact on drug discoveryThe pharmaceutical industry stands to benefit significantly. By rapidly analyzing scientific literature and databases, the system can propose drug candidates and suggest optimized experimental protocols, potentially reducing research timelines from years to months.Integration with AlphaFold allows researchers to predict protein structures, essential for developing targeted therapies. This predictive capability helps pharmaceutical companies identify how compounds interact with proteins, expediting the identification of viable drug candidates.The systems iterative hypothesis generation and self-refining processes also improve research outcomes, offering greater potential for breakthroughs in treating diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders, rare genetic conditions, and cancer.This will result in a surge in both the sheer number of research processes being executed and in concurrency without a proportionate increase in workforce, said Vershita Srivastava, practice director at Everest Group. Industries like biotech and pharmaceuticals will achieve innovative breakthroughs at lower costs.Looking aheadWhile the AI co-scientist shows promise, its real-world impact remains uncertain. Success will depend on its integration into research workflows and its ability to consistently generate valuable insights across diverse scientific domains.However, challenges remain. Dai warned of risks related to algorithm transparency, inconsistent performance, and reproducibility issues. While these systems can accelerate discoveries, they also present challenges regarding data integrity, bias, and over-dependence on automation, which may compromise critical thinking, he said. Additionally, Srivastava noted that AIs reliance on specific datasets can reinforce existing biases, potentially constraining discovery. She also highlighted questions about accountability and intellectual property, particularly in heavily regulated and patented industries.

Applications that support the specialized AI chips on Co-Pilot+ PCs have been rare, but Microsoft is looking to change that.The company this week introduced an upgraded AI Hub that adds new programs to the Microsoft Store that will run on neural processing units (NPUs), the specialized processors in laptops designed to run AI-intensive programs.The new AI Hub will provide AI experiences powered by a PCs NPU,Microsoft said in a blog post.The NPU is an ancillary chip to a computers CPU and GPU, and is more power efficient when running generative AI (genAI)-based tasks such as image recognition, content creation, and voice transcription.The NPUs ability to offload these tasks from the CPU and GPU allows for faster, more efficient operation of the entire system, Microsoft said.Microsoft introduced CoPilot+ PCs last year with NPUs to run genAI tools. The software maker mandated that CoPilot+ PCs include NPUs and that the collective system performance reach 40+ TOPS (trillion operations per second). The first handful of CoPilot+ PCs included chips from Qualcomm and Intel, but the NPUs went largely unutilized.Some of the apps in Microsofts AI Hub include Camo Studio, which speeds up visual effects when using a webcam. (System tests on a Dell XPS 13 laptop with a Qualcomm chipset showed the NPUs in action when the application was running.)Microsoft has added apps to its App Store designed for AI PCs.MicrosoftMicrosoft wasnt ready with NPU-powered applications last year, but decided to launch the CoPilot+ laptops also called AI PCs with NPUs, said Mike Feibus, principal analyst at FeibusTech.The company had a classic chicken-and-egg dilemma of whether to launch the hardware or software first, and moved ahead with the hardware.The NPU-centric applications could make AI PCs a bit more enticing for buyers, Feibus said. You have to give developers an ROI reason to develop applications for AI PCs. More PCs with NPUs make it more and more valuable, he said.But Microsoft will need a much larger catalog of apps to convince buyers to spend money on CoPilot+ PCs, Feibus said.Microsoft requires an NPU for its highly touted Recall feature, which stumbled out of the gate following delays related to security, concerns, Feibus said.Dell is seeing more developers building applications tuned for NPUs.The recent announcements and additions coming to the Copilot+ roadmap also drive more value things like Click to Do and semantic search will have a big impact on user productivity, a Dell spokeswoman said via email.Microsoft had no additional comment about the new AI Hub.Qualcomm and Intel are independently encouraging developers to write apps for NPUs. Intel provides developer tools, while Qualcomm has its own AI Hub for developers to write applications for its Snapdragon chipset.Qualcomm supports models from leading AI frameworks enabling developers to work with the model format of their choice and get it up and running on Snapdragons NPU. Model formats include ONNX, PyTorch, and TensorFlow Lite, a Qualcomm spokeswoman said in an emailed comment.

This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.A new Microsoft chip could lead to more stable quantum computersMicrosoft has announced that its made significant progress in its 20-year quest to make topological quantum bits, or qubitsa special approach to building quantum computers that could make them more stable and easier to scale up.The company says its developed a chip containing eight of these qubits, and has also published a Nature paper that describes a fundamental validation of the system. Its a different approach to competitors like Google and IBM. But, if it works, it could be a significant milestone on the path to unlocking quantum computers dramatic new abilities to discover new materials, among many other possible applications.Many of the researchers MIT Technology Review spoke with would still like to see how this work plays out in scientific publications, but they were cautiously optimistic. Read the full story. Rachel CourtlandWhats driving electricity demand? It isnt just AI and data centers.Electricity demand rose by 4.3% in 2024 and will continue to grow at close to 4% annually through 2027, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency.Theres been a constant stream of headlines about energy demand recently, largely because of the influx of data centersespecially those needed to power AI. These technologies are sucking up more power from the grid, but theyre just a small part of a much larger story.Whats actually behind this demand growth is complicated. Read our story to learn whats going on.Casey CrownhartThis story is from The Spark, our weekly newsletter all about the tech that could help us combat climate change. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.This company is trying to make a biodegradable alternative to spandexIt probably hasnt been long since you last slipped into something stretchy. From yoga pants to socks, stretch fabrics are everywhere. And theyre only getting more popular: The global spandex market, valued at almost $8 billion in December 2024, is projected to grow between 2% and 8% every year over the next decade.That might be better news for your comfort than for the environment. Most stretch fabrics contain petroleum-based fibers that shed microplastics and take centuries to decompose. Alexis Pea and Lauren Blake, cofounders of Good Fibes, aim to tackle this problem with lab-grown elastics. Read the full story.Megan DeMatteoThis story is from the next edition of our print magazine, which is all about relationships. Subscribe now to read it and get a copy of the magazine when it lands on February 26!The must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 DOGE has god mode access to government systemsThe risk of harm, abuse, or revenge is clear. But simple, brazen corruption is also a concern. (The Atlantic$)+Elon Musk is hunting for social security fraud. Its not very common.(Business Insider$)+DOGE claimed it had saved $8 billion in one contract. It was, at most, $8 million. (NYT$)+Elon Musk, DOGE, and the Evil Housekeeper Problem.(MIT Technology Review)2 The Trump administration is scrambling to rehire people working on bird fluThis exact pattern is being replicated across multiple agencies right now, and its straight from Musks playbook. (Gizmodo)+Trump just issued an executive order giving the President power over independent agencies.(Ars Technica)3 DeepSeek is considering its first external funding roundIt badly needs more chips and more servers to meet exploding demand. (The Information$)+Meanwhile, Alibaba is opening up its first data center in Mexico. (South China Morning Post$)+How a top Chinese AI model overcame US sanctions. (MIT Technology Review)4 Electric truck maker Nikola has filed for bankruptcy protectionIt was once (on paper) worth more than Ford. But then a fraud scandal hit, and now its run out of money. (Business Insider$)+The race to clean up heavy-duty trucks. (MIT Technology Review)5 How a crypto scammer turned a small town against itselfShan Hanes drained Elkhart in Kansas dryand turned neighbor against neighbor in the process. (NYT$)6 Googles has unveiled a new AI co-scientist toolResearchers are excited, but its hard to say what its true impact will be. (New Scientist$)+A data bottleneck is holding AI science back, says new Nobel winner.(MIT Technology Review)7 People are logging offEight years ago, social media became a battleground. This time, many dont see much point in fighting online. (New Yorker$)8 What Americas first generation chipmakers enduredThey had to work in unsafe conditionsand never got answers about why their kids were born with birth defects. (The Verge)9 Can you use ChatGPT to learn a new language?Kind of, a bit? But notreally. (Wired$)+Translators in Turkey are training the AI tools that will replace them.(Rest of World)10 The latest TikTok trend? Using AI to time travelAnd not just to disasters like Pompeii or the Titanicyou could just be an American teen in 1983. (Fast Company)Quote of the dayThey destroyed everything here, and now were supposed to give up? How does that work?Alla Kriuchkova, a resident of Bucha in Ukraine, where Russian soldiers slaughtered hundreds of people in March 2022, tells theNew York Timeshow angry she is at President Trump for suggesting the war is Ukraines fault.The big storyThe $100 billion bet that a postindustrial US city can reinvent itself as a high-tech hubKATE WARRENJuly 2023On a day in late April, a small drilling rig sits at the edge of the scrubby overgrown fields of Syracuse, New York, taking soil samples. Its the first sign of construction on what could become the largest semiconductor manufacturing facility in the United States.The CHIPS and Science Act was widely viewed by industry leaders and politicians as a way to secure supply chains, and make the United States competitive again in semiconductor chip manufacturing.Now Syracuse is about to become an economic test of whether, over the next several decades, aggressive government policiesand the massive corporate investments they spurcan both boost the countrys manufacturing prowess and revitalize neglected parts of the country. Read the full story.David RotmanWe 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.)+ Wilson Bentley found snowflakes so beautiful, he created a whole new way to photograph them.+ You cant really eliminate stress in life, but you can get better at managing it.+ The best Quentin Tarantino movies, ranked.+ You only need a few minutes and a kettlebell for a great full-body workout.

Apple-focused IT teams can now automate device management and data backup through a single platform with a new integration.BackblazeBackblaze and Kandji have integrated their services to provide unified Apple device management and cloud backup capabilities. The partnership enables automated deployment of Backblaze's backup service through Kandji's device management platform.The integration brings together automated Backblaze deployment across company Apple devices, centralized management of devices and backups, combined security policy enforcement and data protection, and single dashboard control for IT teams. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums