Volvo is continuing to drop hints about its upcoming high-tech electric sedan, the ES90, ahead of the EVs official reveal next month. Today, the Swedish automaker provided new details about the ES90s range and battery efficiency, calling it a car that goes further and charges faster than any electric Volvo before.Thats mostly thanks to the ES90s new-for-Volvo 800-volt architecture, putting it on par with other fast-charging EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. The new architecture is an upgrade from previous Volvo EVs, like the $80,000 EX90 SUV, which features a 400-volt system.Volvo claims that the ES90 will be able to add 300km (186 miles) of range in just 10 minutes when plugged into a 350kW fast-charging station (depending on the outdoor temperature). Moreover, it will offer a driving range of up to 700km (435 miles) under the more generous WLTP testing cycle.Automakers are increasingly trending toward higher voltage systems in the hopes of luring in more customers who are turned off by slow charging speeds and the prospect of being stuck at a public charging station for 40 minutes or more. Stellantis, parent company of Jeep and Ram, recently announced a new 800-volt flexible architecture for some of its upcoming EVs.Volvo said it needed to upgrade a number of its components in order to support the higher voltage system, including battery cells, motors, inverters, and thermal parts. The new motors were lighter and more efficient, and the overall system now creates less heat, meaning the battery can be charged at a faster rate without overloading the electrical system.Volvo also plans to introduce a new, in-house-developed battery management software for the ES90, provided by Breathe Battery Technologies, which also received investments from Volvos corporate venture capital arm. The new software will slash the amount of time it takes to charge from 10 to 80 percent by as much as 30 percent, down to 20 minutes.The ES90 will also feature a slew of recycled materials, including 29 percent of the aluminum, 16 percent of polymers, and 18 percent of steel. Wood panels inside the ES90 are made from FSC-certified wood, Volvo says. The automaker is also introducing a new blockchain-based battery passport to track raw materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite used in the battery. See More:

Efficient matrix multiplications remain a critical component in modern deep learning and high-performance computing. As models become increasingly complex, conventional approaches to General Matrix Multiplication (GEMM) often face challenges related to memory bandwidth constraints, numerical precision, and suboptimal hardware utilization. These issues are further complicated by the emerging use of mixed-precision formats, such as FP8, which demand careful handling to avoid computational inaccuracies. Recent advances in GPU architectures, particularly NVIDIAs Hopper tensor cores, have created opportunities for improved performancebut only if software is designed to fully exploit these capabilities. In this context, there is a need for tools that not only address these performance bottlenecks but also maintain simplicity and transparency in their design.DeepSeek AIs release of DeepGEMM marks a thoughtful approach to enhancing FP8 GEMM operations. Designed specifically for efficient and clean FP8 matrix multiplications with fine-grained scaling, DeepGEMM supports both standard and Mix-of-Experts (MoE) grouped GEMMs. The library is written in CUDA and stands out for its use of runtime kernel compilation through a lightweight Just-In-Time (JIT) module. This design choice means that there is no need for lengthy compile-time processes during installation, making it straightforward to integrate into existing projects. DeepGEMM is tailored for NVIDIA Hopper tensor cores, ensuring that it leverages modern hardware capabilities while addressing inherent challenges such as imprecise FP8 accumulations.Technical Details and BenefitsAt its core, DeepGEMM employs fine-grained scaling combined with FP8 arithmetic to balance speed and numerical accuracy. To counteract issues with FP8 tensor core accumulation, the library uses a two-level accumulation strategy via CUDA coresoften described as promotion. This approach minimizes errors during computation without sacrificing performance. The implementation is notably concise, with a single core kernel function encompassing around 300 lines of code. Such simplicity not only aids in understanding the underlying principles but also facilitates further refinements by the community.DeepGEMM draws inspiration from established libraries like CUTLASS and CuTe, yet it deliberately avoids a heavy dependency on complex templates or algebraic frameworks. Instead, the focus remains on providing a clean and accessible codebase that concentrates on optimizing GEMM operations for both normal and grouped configurations. The support for grouped GEMMs, designed for MoE models, is implemented in two forms: contiguous and masked layouts. Each is carefully structured to accommodate varying token counts per expert, reflecting the practical demands of modern inference and training tasks.Performance Insights and ConsiderationsThe performance data provided in the DeepGEMM repository offers clear picture of its efficiency improvements. Testing on NVIDIA H800 GPUs with NVCC 12.8 indicates that, across a range of matrix dimensions, DeepGEMM achieves speedups that compare favorably with a carefully optimized CUTLASS-based implementation. For instance, normal GEMM operations demonstrate speedup factors ranging from approximately 1.4x to 2.7x, depending on the specific matrix shape. In the context of grouped GEMMs for MoE models, both contiguous and masked layouts show consistent improvements, albeit more modest, with speedups around 1.1x to 1.2x.These performance gains are the result of several thoughtful design decisions. The librarys JIT compilation strategy allows for dynamic optimization of kernel parameterssuch as block sizes, the number of pipeline stages, and warpgroupstailored to the specific GEMM shapes and hardware configurations. Furthermore, the utilization of Hoppers Tensor Memory Accelerator (TMA) helps to optimize data movement, which is a significant factor in achieving high performance on modern GPU architectures. The repository also details several utility functions that assist developers in aligning tensor dimensions and configuring shared memory, ensuring that the library can be integrated smoothly into larger systems.ConclusionDeepGEMM represents a measured and effective approach to the challenges of FP8 GEMM computations. By focusing on both precision and performance, the library provides an elegant solution for researchers and practitioners looking to optimize matrix multiplications on NVIDIA Hopper tensor cores. Its design emphasizes clarity and accessibilityevident in the concise codebase and the elimination of pre-compilation steps through runtime JIT compilation. Whether for standard GEMMs or the more specialized grouped GEMMs required by MoE models, DeepGEMM offers a practical, well-documented platform for enhancing computational efficiency.For those seeking to improve their deep learning pipelines or gain insight into modern GPU optimization techniques, DeepGEMM stands as a valuable resource. The repository, released under the MIT License and supported by a community of developers, invites further exploration and refinement. Check outthe GitHub Repo.All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,feel free to follow us onTwitterand dont forget to join our80k+ ML SubReddit. Asif RazzaqWebsite| + postsBioAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences.Asif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Convergence Releases Proxy Lite: A Mini, Open-Weights Version of Proxy Assistant Performing Pretty Well on UI Navigation TasksAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/DeepSeek AI Releases DeepEP: An Open-Source EP Communication Library for MoE Model Training and InferenceAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Building an Interactive Weather Data Scraper in Google Colab: A Code Guide to Extract, Display, and Download Live Forecast Data Using Python, BeautifulSoup, Requests, Pandas, and Ipywidgets Recommended Open-Source AI Platform: IntellAgent is a An Open-Source Multi-Agent Framework to Evaluate Complex Conversational AI System' (Promoted)

Its fun to be first. Whether its being among the first users of a new technology, the first to play a video game, or members of the audience for a movie on opening night, the feeling of being ahead of the curve is satisfying. Thats true when it comes to new books, and even more so when youre among the first to fall in love with the first work of a debut author.Trying out a new writer, especially on their first novel, carries a small risktheres no guarantee youll be their target audience. But Den of Geek has dialed back that risk for you with these nine titles that are sure to appeal to the right readers, spanning enough SFF and adjacent subgenres that there should be something to appeal to everyone! Grab your TBR list, open up your library holds, or text yourself a reminder to pick these up at your local bookstore on their release dates!Hammajang Luck by Makana YamamotoJanuary 14, Harper VoyagerNo one steals from Joyce Atlas, one of the richest men in the galaxy. Edie learned that the hard way when a heist went bad, their best friend sold them out, and they spent eight long years in prison. But when the aforementioned best friend, Angel, gets them released early, its not with altruism in mind: Angel wants to go after Atlas again, and she wants Edie to join her. Edie wants nothing to do with itthey just want to go legit, help out their sister and her kids, and get a real job. Only when they find out theyve been blacklisted and no one will hire them, it seems like Angels job is the one thing left to them. Its just one last job. How bad could it be?Yamamoto indulges in all the best heist tropes right from the beginning: the reluctant hero who doesnt want this life, but cant find any other way; the team that just needs the heros special skills; and the audiences knowledge (or, at least, hope) that everythings going to get totally chaotic before the heroes win in the end. The sci-fi space station setting, mixed with a heavy dose of the Hawaiian slang and vocabulary that the main characters drop into their exchanges, gives those familiar tropes a fresh feeling. Edies an earnest narrator, with just enough snark in their first person narrative to give them edge and inspire empathy. Yamamoto hits the ground running with Hammajang Luck, which released in January 2025, and its going to be exciting to see what they write next.Aunt Tigress by Emily Yu-Xuan QinMarch 18, Astra Publishing HouseOld stories about tiger gods blend with urban fantasy and horror in this gorgeous mythological novel inspired by both Chinese and First Nations stories. Tam is the kind of tiger who wears a human skin. Her Aunt Tigress once treated her for an illness, and though Tam had been raised to believe she was human, Tigresss interference gave her the ability to see the supernatural world. Now, shes a college student, excited about her connection with free-spirited Janet and their first date together, which goes well despite being interrupted by an incubus.But then Tams Aunt Tigress is murdered and skinned, and Tam inherits not only an undead fox, but also all of Aunt Tigresss enemies. But the real danger may still be Aunt Tigress herself. While Aunt Tigress feels like an urban fantasy, both the hefty dose of horror and the length (over 400 pages) keep it from having a mass market feel. Yu-Xuans narrative swaps out of first person when needed, keeping the perspective close to Tams voice, but breaking narrative rules in a way that works remarkably well. If you scare easily, hold onto this one for sunny afternoons after it hits bookstores shelves in March.A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. AyindeJune 3, SagaThe second doorstopper on this list embraces the length and feel of epic fantasy in a novel that spans thousands of years. The kingdom was once almost taken over by greyblood servants. The rebels were defeated and pushed out, but when they return to pit their wills against the kingdom again, it becomes a war of attrition. Invokers and warriors are far more skilled than the rebels, but there arent enough of them to defeat the greybloods forever.But none of that is at the forefront of commoner Temis mind when she finds her familys ship alight in green flames. Her family killed, her way of life stolen, and Temi herself attacked by a witch, shes not given a lot of options. When the same witch speaks prophecy to herThe king must fall by your hand!shes inclined to ignore it. But Temi accidentally invokes a powerful spirit, and she realizes it could be the key to ending the war. Only, whose side will she end it for, and once its over, where will Temi find herself? Ayinde leaps right into the story, giving readers both an every-person narrator to follow in Temi, but also giving hints and insights into the world from multiple points of view. Celebrated by fellow epic fantasists like Andrea Stewart and Tobi Ogundiran, A Song of Legends Lost, which releases in June, is sure to take epic fantasy by the reigns and lead it on a grand new adventure.The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree WijesekaraMarch 27, HarperVoyagerJoin our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Not ready to commit to something that lengthy? Dive into a fantasy inspired by the Mauryan Empire of ancient India in Wijesekaras The Prince Without Sorrow. Ashoka is third in line for the throne of his tyrant father, and in his heart, he craves peace, refusing to take the life of even a deer. Shakti is a mayakari, a witch sworn to pacifism by her cultures beliefs but inclined toward martial skill to defend herself. Shes not one to let a bully keep her downeven when that bully is the emperor himself. When her aunt is murdered for the crime of being a witch, nonviolence is the last thing on Shaktis mind. And when the emperor dies, Ashoka is thrust into a leadership role in a region terrorized by nature spiritsnature spirits that the mayakari can communicate with. When their paths cross, the two of them must both question their ideals, and Ashoka must acknowledge that unless he takes power, even at the risk of becoming like his father, their world may fall apart.Wijesekaras prose drops readers right into the narrative; the vibrant setting is immediately clear, and the parallel point of view between a prince and a witch gives readers two clear vantage points through which to explore the empire. This debut is also a series starter, giving readers a taste of the story to come with an ending that changes the stakes for both main characters. Look for this one in March!The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne LauMarch 27, SolarisLaus protagonist Lythlet has none of the qualms about violence the protagonists of Wijesekaras novel do. Facing a life of debt and poverty, Lythlet and her only friend, Desil, take the one path they can think of to escape: becoming gladiators in an illegal arena, where they fight monsters. But the monsters in the ring are far less dangerous than the monsters beyond it; to survive, Lythlet has to play an entirely different game, balancing politics and intrigue to get ahead. When she has to make a choice between her friendship and her ambition, she discovers how far shell go to claim her own power.Readers who love the combat aspects and morally gray spaces of novels (and characters) like Arcanes Ambessa (most recently featured in a prequel novel by C.L. Clark) are sure to gravitate toward Laus vividly depicted arena sequences. And the monsters are the stuff of nightmaresshadowy wolves that dont bleed, two headed creatures that spew fire and iceunique and inventive in a genre filled with fiends. Readers can fight alongside Lythlet when The Serpent Called Mercy arrives in March.When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vide KelleyApril 29, ErewhonCraving something a little cozier? How about a romance between an immigrant and a merman? When Benny is given the opportunity to build something more than steel beams for the skyscrapers of 20th century magnateseach an idol to the egos of the wealthyhes thrilled to get to use some of the skills hed learned in Puerto Rico to create a thing of beauty. The frame, for a carriage with glass walls, looks to be used to transport something, but Bennys horrified to learn its meant to contain a merman, especially when the sideshow owner who hired him commits supernatural murder. With the command to save the merman echoing in his head, Benny treads a new path, following merman Rio to where hes imprisoned at Coney Island.Told in both prose (Bennys perspective) and poetry (Rios), this novel showcases not only Kelleys gorgeous writing, which seamlessly blends Spanish and English. It also highlights her talent as an artisther own illustrations pepper the book, capturing poignant scenes of danger, community, and love. With vibes reminiscent of The Greatest Showman in a lush, fantastical setting, When the Tides Held the Moon, which releases in April, will draw readers back to a magical early 1900s.Aftertaste by Daria LavelleMay 20, Simon & SchusterIn Lavelles debut, death is not an ending. Kostya is haunted by ghosts he cant see. But when a spirit is near, he can taste their favorite meals. And when he finally decides to act on what only he can experience, everything changes. He enters the New York restaurant scene, determined to reunite people with their lost loved ones through food. But when he realizes that the people who helped him open the restaurant are involved with the Mafiaand when the love of his life is convinced hes on a path to destroying himselfhe begins to understand that holding onto the dead has greater consequences than he ever imagined.Lavelle weaves poetry into her work as well, and the memories are themselves poems in Aftertaste, which comes out in May. Filled with food and grief and love, this is one of those novels likely to linger on long after its finished, just like the flavors of Kostyas memory-saturated recipes.Needy Little Things by Channelle DesamoursFebruary 4, Wednesday BooksIf YA is more your speed, Desamourss paranormal mystery might be exactly the thing you need. High schooler Sariyah would know. She hears the needs of others like a hum at the back of her brain, itching and itching until she can fulfil the need. Sometimes its easya stick of gum, a nail file. But sometimes giving those little gifts can have even greater meaning, like when her boss uses the nail file Sariyah gave her earlier to fend off a mugger at the back of the ice cream store. The weight of her ability weighs on her. What if she doesnt give a person the thing they need? Will she be responsible for what happens next?But when her best friend goes missing at a concert, Sariyahs own need to find her outweighs any of the responsibilities she feels toward others. And though she swore shed never do it, she begins to use her gift for profit. It may be the only way to get her friend back, but it might put her in exactly the same danger herself. Sariyahs voice comes through so clearly, you can almost hear her telling the story without need for an audiobook. Desamours doesnt shy away from topics like racial inequalitySariyahs friend doesnt get the same press or community support looking for her as another teen did, because shes a Black girl, and the other missing person was white. Sariyahs magic is also unique, and its such a core part to her world experience that its always present in the background of the narrative. Needy Little Things is already out on library shelves, and you definitely need to go pick it up.Pride or Die by C.L. MontblancApril 15, Wednesday BooksThis last must-read entry is a mix of a queer rom-com, an attempted-murder mystery, and a dark comedy, which begins when Eleanora Finkel is trying to save the LGBTQ club at her high school, which she founded, from falling apart after she graduates. Its tough to be a queer kid in Texas, and she wants a safe space to be preserved for future generations of high schoolers. But when a cheerleader is attacked at the same time their club is meeting at the school, they all become prime suspects in the case.In order to clear their names, Eleanora is determined to solve the mystery herself (without letting the cute cheerleader distract her). But shes not exactly private eye material, and the rest of the club are the same types of misfits. Not to mention, the real criminal is still on the looseand if they get close to uncovering the truth, its possible theyll be the next victims. Pride or Die, which comes out in April, will hit audiences with some Scooby Doo meets Heathers vibes and a dash of sweet romantic tension.Alana Joli Abbott is a reviewer and game writer, who also co-edits fantasy anthologies for Outland Entertainment, including Rising Tides (which is currently live on Kickstarter) and edits novels, like the debut paranormal mystery A Promise of Sirens by V.L. Barycz, due out in July. You can find her online at VirgilandBeatrice.com.

Family Guy enjoys parodying some of cinemas finest films. Many of the shows cutaways, in particular, never pull a punch in lampooning a classic movie. Sometimes, however, the series goes all out and dedicates an entire episode to a cinematic spoof. From Hitchcock to Star Wars, Family Guy has deployed many friggin sweet spins on movies over the years, frequently under the span of one episodes 22-minute runtime.With season 23 commencing with a Top Gun parody, here are 10 of the finest Family Guy movie parody episodes.10. Three DirectorsSeason 16 Episode 5With the same prompt of Peter Gets Fired, Family Guy parodies the trademark tropes of Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson, and Michael Bay. Both comedically and visually, the episode peaks with the first take, satirizing Tarantinos work Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Kill Bill. During the Kill Bill pastiche, Peter wears a Ronald McDonald outfit while reenacting the Crazy 88 action sequence with Tricia Takanawa and Angela (the late Carrie Fisher). It stylistically captures Tarantinos gonzo, gory style, offering one fast-paced and remarkably fluid animated sequence that rivals the directors work. Oddly enough, no foot jokes in it.9. PetergeistSeason 4 Episode 26Petergeist crams every scene with pop culture references, and while it may grow tiresome by its midpoint, you cant help but appreciate its rapid firing of gags. The entire episode is a riff on Poltergeist, with Stewie getting stuck in the TV after discussing the aftermath of Friends with the supernatural entity. From there, it escalates into a frenzy of references and bits of Poltergeist lore that becomes more sardonic. Herbert fights a tree like Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, Peters peeled skin reveals Hank Hill, and Peter and Stewie escaping the TV straight through Megs rear end is all perfect Family Guy nonsense. Also this was how I was introduced to Phil Collins In the Air Tonight and the not Mike Tyson bit in The Hangover.8. Leggo My Meg-OSeason 10 Episode 20This is a Brian and Stewie adventure with them becoming Bryan Mills in a Taken parody.When Meg is kidnapped in Paris on a trip abroad, Stewie and Brian take it upon themselves to save her. Of course, Stewie acts as the man of action and master of disguise while Brian is nearby eating a sandwich. Leggo My Meg-O is a fun take on Taken with some shots directly, uh, taken from its source material, like Meg being pulled from under the bed and Peter doing the I dont know who you are speech. Just to think this predated Liam Neeson working with Seth MacFarlane in films and on Family Guy.7. Fat GunSeason 23 Episode 1In the season 23 opener, Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick get their good ol Family Guy ribbin with Peter as Maverick, Joe as Goose, Stewie as Iceman, and Chris as Rooster. Every other interaction with Joes Goose has Peter going, Talk to me, Goose, which always lands a laugh along with playing up the homoeroticism in a hilarious take on the beach scene. Most of Top Guns segment is sheer silliness, poking fun at the 80s outdatedness. Then, Maverick presents a visually impressive recreation of the finales dogfight sequence, coupled with making fun of plot holes ranging from Roosters youthful age and its entire female cast from the predecessor being shafted. Yes, Tiny Tom Cruise makes a cameo.6. Three KingsSeason 7 Episode 15Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!This fun anthology set spoofs three of Stephen Kings best movies: Stand By Me, Misery, and The Shawshank Redemption. While Misery is the weakest of the bunch, Stand By Me and Shawshank are hilarious spins, with part of the charm being who are cast as these iconic King characters. Also, Joes legs are blown off in every segment.viciously. Points for having Patrick Warburton wail in agony.5. Oceans Three and a HalfSeason 7 Episode 7The parody of Soderberghs Oceans series does not occur until halfway through. However, it is noteworthy that this is one of the significant family moments in history pertaining to the birth of Susie Swanson. The writers were tired of Bonnie being pregnant, so the baby came out. Stewies recreation of Bryan Adams (Everything I Do) I Do It for You, Brians list of songs with women names, and Cleveland opening a vault with Reeses chin are some of the funniest gags in the episode. Its a good episode that took advantage of a new norm for the series supporting cast and went with it.4. North by North QuahogSeason 4 Episode 1Nearly two years after cancellation, Family Guy made its grand return thanks to Adult Swim reruns and high DVD sales on Fox. There was no better way to make its comeback than with a hilarious take on North by Northwest. When Peter and Lois coital adventures get dry, they go on a romantic getaway to bring that spark back. Naturally, that adventure encompasses them getting into Mel Gibsons hotel suite and stealing his Rush Hour-styled sequel to The Passion of the Christ. This all culminates in a recreation of the renowned cornfield chase scene from North By Northwest with Peter fleeing from two priests. It is a great blend of heart, maturity, and humor that assured viewers that Family Guy was here to stay.3. Meet the QuagmiresSeason 5 Episode 18Peter, missing his wild days of yore, asks Death to take him back to the 80s to have fun. But canceling his date to see Zapped! with Lois has big consequences in the alternate universe, where Lois marries Quagmire. Its a fun take on Back to the Future with Peter learning a valuable lesson in appreciating his marriage with Lois while also being a great love letter to 80s culture. Axel F, Rick Astley, and Molly Ringwald are just a few of the many references in this tribute to the decade. Furthermore, it features one of my favorite cutaways: an entire recreation of The Jetsons intro, which was animated by the episodes co-director Dan Povenmire (co-creator of Phineas & Ferb), since Hanna-Barbera held the rights for it.2. And Then There Were FewerSeason 9 Episode 1When network shows were prompted to make that HD jump, Family Guys season 9 season opener took advantage of that leap with a cinematic murder mystery. Serving as both a spin on Agatha Christies And Then There Were None and Clue, And Then There Were Fewer was a largely scoped affair that captured the essence of the murder mystery genre effortlessly and also shifted the series run forever. Every death in the episode was canon. For shows that usually can care so little for continuity, And Then There Were Fewer was one of the biggest turning points in Family Guy history.1. Laugh It Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy TrilogySeason 6 Episode 1: Blue HarvestSeason 8 Episode 20: Something, Something, Something, Dark SideSeason 9 Episode 18: Its A TrapStewie as Darth Vader is enough to warrant the top spot. Either way, Family Guys spin on the original Star Wars trilogy is one of the shows staple highlights. Each 44-minute special is so silly and full of hilarious gags. It became so epic, each entry started featuring characters from other Seth MacFarlane series Klaus from American Dad as Admiral Akbar and Tim from The Cleveland Show as Ewoksto assume the familiar Star Wars roles. All of this, while maintaining the grandeur of the classic series, is what makes the Laugh It Up, Fuzzball trilogy so exceptional.

The governments response to the Grenfell Inquirys final report is expected to be announced tomorrow afternoon, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner will read out an oral statement in the House of Commons around 1.30pm on Wednesday setting out how the government will respond to the inquirys 58 recommendations for improving safety in the built environment.Keir Starmer had promised to provide his full response to the inquirys final report within six months of its publication on 4 September last year.Source: MHCLG/FlickrAngela Rayner will deliver an oral statement to the House of Commons after Prime Ministers Questions tomorrow afternoonThe 1,600-page report looked into the causes of the fire which killed 72 people in June 2017 and came after seven years of hearings, including evidence from those involved in the buildings refurbishment and government ministers and officials responsible for fire safety in the years leading up to the fire.Coming less than three years after the 2022 Building Safety Act, a watershed review of building safety regulations implemented in response to the fire, Rayners response has the potential to unleash another period of adaptation to the industry.Here are some of the reports most significant recommendations.The creation of a single regulator for the entire construction industryThe report argued that the arrangements under which the industry was regulated had, over the course of time, become too complex and fragmented. At the time of the fire, the department now known as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government was responsible for building regulations and statutory guidance, the business department was responsible for regulating products and the Home Office was responsible for fire and rescue services. Building control was shared between local authorities and approved inspectors operating as businesses, while law enforcement on the sale of products was carried out by Trading Standards. In our view, this degree of fragmentation was a recipe for inefficiency and an obstacle to effective regulation, the report said.In arguably the reports most significant recommendation, the government was asked to create a single independent regulator headed by one individual reporting to one secretary of state. It said this would provide a focal point in driving change in the industry while allowing information to be shared more efficiently between those responsible for different parts of the industry. It would mean a much more radical centralisation of regulatory functions than the current post-Grenfell arrangements, which the report criticised as remaining dispersed.Functions to be within the scope of the proposed super-regulator would include:the regulation of construction productsthe development of suitable methods for testing the reaction to fire of materials and products intended for use in constructionthe testing and certification of such productsthe issue of certificates of compliance of construction products with the requirements of legislation, statutory guidance and industry standardsthe regulation and oversight of building controlthe licensing of contractors to work on higher-risk buildingsmonitoring the operation of the Building Regulations and the statutory guidance and advising the Secretary of State on the need for changecarrying out research on matters affecting fire safety in the built environmentcollecting information, both in this country and abroad, on matters affecting fire safetyexchanging information with the fire and rescue services on matters affecting fire safetyaccrediting fire risk assessorsmaintaining a publicly available library of test data and publicationsThe definition of a higher-risk building to be reviewedIn another major recommendation with potential to cause a lot of headaches in the industry, the report has recommended an urgent review of what buildings should be classed as higher risk and be subject to much more stringent regulatory requirements.Currently, the definition applies to buildings with at least two dwellings which are at least 18 metres in height, or around seven storeys. Already this interpretation has resulted in dozens of schemes across the country being redesigned, some with the loss of entire buildings, in order to add extra fire safety measures including second staircases.However, the report concludes that the reference only to a buildings height is essentially arbitrary in nature, with the use of the building and the likely presence of vulnerable people for whom evacuation could be difficult considered to be more relevant. Influential organisations including RIBA have called for the definition to include all assembly buildings, which encompass any building where people might congregate, including schools, theatres, cinemas, conference centres, train stations, airports and gyms.The appointment of a chief construction advisorOne of the easier to implement recommendations, the chief construction advisor would function as an expert individual who has a good working knowledge and practical experience of the construction industry, who ministers could turn to for advice.Unlike former chief construction advisors such as Paul Morrell, who were effectively lone wolves in government as one expert described them without a large office of supporting staff, the new role as envisaged by the inquiry would have a substantial budget and staff in order to provide advice on all matters affecting the industry.This would include monitoring all aspects of work relating to the Building Regulations and statutory guidance and providing advice to the secretary of state on request. It would also include bringing to the attention of the secretary of state any matters affecting the Building Regulations and statutory guidance or matters affecting the construction industry more generally of which the government should be aware.A review of Approved Document BThe report called for Approved Document B, the part of the regulations dealing with fire safety, to be reviewed as a matter of urgency. This would take into account the evidence provided to the inquiry by expert witnesses including Arups Barbara Lane, none of which was significantly challenged during the proceedings.The document must then be kept under continuous review, amended annually or promptly when needed and drafted conservatively to ensure compliance with it will provide a high degree of confidence that a completed building will comply with the regulations.The report had stated in its conclusions that the document at the time of the fire was poorly worded and liable to mislead designers into thinking that complying with its terms would inevitably ensure that the building would comply with the legal requirements of the Building Regulations. It added that the government department responsible for the regulations had failed actively to monitor the performance of the system and failed to ensure that dangers of which it became aware were communicated to industry.The profession of fire engineer to be regulatedThe term fire engineer does not currently denote a formal qualification, something which the inquiry said has allowed some individuals to perform the role without the necessary competence. It also said the complexity of the subject matter is not well understood.The report called for the profession to be formally recognised and both the title and function protected by statute. It also urged the creation of an independent body to regulate the profession, define the standards required for membership, maintain a register of members and regulate their conduct.Over time that would create a body of registered fire engineers who are capable of contributing to the design and delivery of safe buildings and of educating those construction professionals with whom they work in effective fire safety strategies.A licensing scheme for contractors working on higher risk buildingsThe design and build contract makes the main contractor responsible for all aspects of a scheme, despite different aspects being carried out by subcontractors. The inquiry criticised Rydon, the contractor which carried out Grenfell Towers flawed refurbishment, for failing to make it clear which subcontractor was responsible for aspects of the project and for failing to take an active interest in fire safety. We are not the first to conclude that the construction industry as a whole needs to become technically more competent and less willing to sacrifice quality to speed and cost, the report said.It called for a licensing system for firms wishing to work on higher risk buildings, aiming to ensure they are qualified by experience and organisation to do so. This scheme would be operated by the construction regulator and would be a legal requirement for any application for building control approval on both construction and refurbishment projects at gateway 2.

We imagine the future, rather than working within the present, says Islam, describing the approach of design and research consultancy Material Cultures. We speculate on the potential for woodlands to produce certain materials, even though today we import them from mainland Europe.Material Cultures, co-founded in 2019 with Paloma Gormley and George Masoud, advocates greater use of bio-based materials in construction and bio-regional material sourcing. Bio-regional mapping involves in-depth research to find out what resources, products and skills are local to a site, such as visits to sawmills and interviews with nearby foresters and farmers to build local supply chains.Through built projects, hands-on workshops, research, teaching and films, Material Cultures has emerged as a significant disruptor of business as usual. The practices main message is that our extractive construction industry needs a radical overhaul. Our experience is that people want to make choices that align with their values, Islam explains. They just arent informed, because we deliberately obscure, as an industry, the impact of certain processes and materials.Hands-on workshops with builders and community residents have evolved to be one of Material Cultures most impactful workstreams, simultaneously addressing lack of industry understanding of how to build with bio-based materials and empowering builders and local residents with new construction skills.Straw is the ultimate equitable material. Everyone can pick up a bale and build with straw, says Islam. In addition to straw, Material Cultures advocates greater use of hemp and wood fibre. These are three regenerative materials which could be scaled in the British context, according to Islam.In this episode, we also discuss Material Cultures work with Civic Square in Birmingham, developing a neighbourhood microfactory for community retrofit. In terms of retrofit, Islam cautions that more insulation is not always the answer. An awning or a minor modification to the plan might result in a more impactful outcome for a given cost.To catch up on all episodes of AJ Climate Champions, click here.Find Climate Champions on your favourite podcast app: subscribe via Spotify,Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Deezerand PodbeanAbout Summer IslamSummer Islam is a founding director of Material Cultures. She co-teaches 'Construction in Detail' in the Spatial Studies department at Central St. Martins. She has also taught at ETH, the Bartlett, and London Met.Prior to setting up Material Cultures, Summer worked at 6a architects and Caruso St John.Summer is currently pursuing a PhD in the Riot Lab at EPFL in Lausanne.Resources mentioned in this episodeMaterial CulturesMaterial Reform bookRice University Spotlight AwardPeter Davey Prize for Emerging PractitionersCivic SquareBuilding Skills reportAfter Sand filmEmma Rishj HolmSand Stories by Kiran PereiraFeral by George MonbiotMaterial Matter[s] workshopsWoodland Goods - V&A exhibitionClearfell HouseAmerican Hardwood Export CouncilBauhaus Earth Dark Matter LabsJericho Wood ShackThe Embodied Biodiversity Impacts of Construction Materials report by Expedition EngineeringArchitecture 00Inbuilt ProjectFish TankCharlotte Malterre-BarthesCreditsPodcast produced and edited by May RobsonMusic:Edmilson do Pfano, Forr de dois Amigos. Interpretation:Felipe Tanakae banda Balaio de Baio

In a new AJ column by planner and architect Hana Loftus, of Colchester-based HAT Projects, Loftus takes aim at the blind alley created for passengers by the new steel-walled footbridge at her local station, Marks Tey, in Essex.The bridge, technically a refurbishment byan unnamed architect of an existing concrete bridge, is now a 2m-high grey trough, which cuts off pedestrian views of the tracks and platforms an oppressive experience speaking to an all-pervasive culture of that will do in Britain, Loftus argues.She writes: Good designers have designed beautiful, functional and safe footbridges that are being installed just a few stops down the line.AdvertisementEvery policy statement, every plan, every strategy states its aim is to ensure sustainable, high quality, people-centred design.However, a severe cognitive dissonance exists in Britain between these laudable aims, and what happens in reality, Loftus argues. Cost and convenience won out and the local community in this semi-rural area was de facto treated as second class.In a statement provided to the AJ, Network Rail said its involvement in the project was limited to specific areas within its responsibility such as a safe power supply, adding that Greater Anglia had led on design, development, and delivery.A spokesperson for train operator Greater Anglia said: This project reflects the careful balancing act required in railway infrastructure: ensuring safety, meeting technical constraints, maintaining cost efficiency and enhancing accessibility.It is important to recognise that the Marks Tey footbridge refurbishment and repairs fully comply with British Standards, Eurocodes and Network Rails rigorous safety and design requirements. Designed by a chartered architect with extensive railway experience, every decision was made to ensure safety, durability, and functionality while adhering to industry regulations.AdvertisementThe statement went on to say that design options for the footbridge had been limited by overhead lines and the retention of existing trestles.Statement by train operator Greater AngliaThis project reflects the careful balancing act required in railway infrastructure: ensuring safety, meeting technical constraints, maintaining cost efficiency, and enhancing accessibility.It is important to recognise the Marks Tey footbridge refurbishment and repairs fully comply with British Standards, Eurocodes and Network Rails rigorous safety and design requirements.Designed by a chartered architect with extensive railway experience, every decision was made to ensure safety, durability, and functionality while adhering to industry regulations.The suggestion that the design disregards best practices overlooks key constraints. This was a bridge deck repair rather than a full reconstruction, meaning architectural flexibility was limited due to the retention of existing trestles.Additionally, Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) clearances were extremely tight, preventing the use of perforated panels, which would have posed an obstruction and breached current safety standards. The choice of high solid parapets was not a careless oversight but a necessary measure to ensure compliance and public safety. While discussions on improving design are always welcome, dismissing the project without considering these factors does not provide a fair or complete assessment.Beyond aesthetics, the refurbishment has delivered tangible improvements. Accessibility compliance has been enhanced, slip-resistance on the stairs and deck has been upgraded, lighting has been improved, and safety has been increased in relation to the OLE. Overall, these repairs significantly improve the bridges functionality and user experience.

How To Use Volumes To Add Depth By Linolafett on February 26, 2025 Training Videos "Just add fog" is a go-to rule when an image is lacking visual depth. In this tutorial Lino Thomas shows how to can use uniform and non uniform volumes to add a layer of fog as well as a nice distance based haze.I am sure this will be useful in some of your scenes in the future!Happy blending :)

Index english Majority in Taiwan opposes TSMC tech transfer to U.S. Reporter Lu Hsin-yang Release time2025/02/24 15:28 Last update time2025/02/24 16:05 SML Poll shows fear of future Trump tariffs (TVBS News) html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"TAIPEI (TVBS News) A poll released Monday (Feb. 24) by the Think Tank of Foundation for the People () reveals overwhelming opposition among Taiwanese to transferring Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's () 2-nanometer process to the United States. The foundation's CEO, Huang Kwei-bo, highlighted that 84.8% of respondents are against the move, with 60.8% expressing strong disapproval.The poll also highlights growing concerns about potential tariff pressures from a future Trump administration, with 85.6% of participants anticipating such challenges and 52.8% considering them "very likely." Furthermore, only 40.6% of respondents view Taiwan-U.S. trade as equitable, while 62.4% believe the U.S. holds an upper hand in negotiations. In response to former President Trump's claims that Taiwan is "taking away America's semiconductor business," 88.4% of those polled disagreed, with 59.2% strongly opposing the assertion. &nbspLegislative Yuan () Deputy Speaker Johnny Chiang () suggested that the Trump administration's strategy involves reshaping the global trade landscape by using tariffs as a negotiation tool. He emphasized the arrival of "the Era of Grand Negotiation" and encouraged Taiwan to capitalize on a range of industries beyond TSMC.Conducted between Feb. 18-21, the survey reached participants through Facebook advertisements, adhering to quota standards for gender, age, region, and education level. It collected 1,042 valid responses, with a margin of error of 3.03% at a 95% confidence level. The data was further refined using the Raking method to align with the national population structure. Taiwan AffairsmorereadmoreChina criticizes DPP over TSMC ties2024-12-11 21:00:00Liu urges Taiwan to embrace tech change2024-11-27 10:47:16Taiwan, Japan boost AI, chip ties2025-02-12 13:47:20TSMC may move tech to U.S. for growth2025-02-12 10:57:55Taiwan stocks hit post-holiday high2025-02-12 10:12:52Taiwan stocks dip as TSMC slides2025-02-10 10:27:43Minister Kuo addresses U.S. tariff plans2025-02-08 17:28:11NDC minister heads to U.S. for TSMC meet2025-02-08 22:00:00GOP pushes to end One China policy2025-02-07 17:45:50TSMC boosts Taiwan stocks by 181 points2025-02-06 11:14:46

Tumult-iverseFragpunk is like every shooter, everywhere, all at once - and could be Netease's next Marvel Rivals (if the dev plays its cards right)Competitive FPS, Fragpunk, revolves around the central mechanic of Shard Cards, which change the rules of every round.Image credit: VG247 Article by James Billcliffe Guides Editor Published on Feb. 26, 2025 Fragpunk is like every shooter, everywhere, all at once.When a mysterious element called Glunite appeared, it shattered the Shardverse and gave Lancers their otherworldly abilities, pulling people from different realities into a kaleidoscopic series of parallel universes where they now work as mercenaries collecting Glunite for their own ends.But Fragpunk feels like a confluence of simultaneous realities on more than an aesthetic level. The main game mode is a Call of Duty-esque Search and Destroy bomb defusal, ties are settled with a series of Warzone Gulag-style 1v1s, there are boing-boing movement pads like a battle royale, the gun economy and handling call to mind CS:GO, while the mixture of that with heroes is similar to Valorant, then the presentation of those heroes - with lavishly produced comics and animated backstory videos - is reminiscent of Blizzards Overwatch.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. However, the unique aspect of Fragpunk that both ramps up the chaos and holds it all together is the Shard Cards.Dealt between every round, Shard Cards place one-off modifiers on the next match. As you get kills and perform objective actions throughout a full game, you build up points which let you invest into different Shard Cards, or save up to pile everything into a particularly perfect power-play.These effects can range from relatively simple - but extremely strong in quite a twitch-intensive, low time-to-kill shooter - things like buffing your max HP or turning on big head mode for the enemy team, to transformative rule changes which turn the whole map into an icy slip-and-slide or delete one of the bomb sites entirely.The cards add a third metagame to your pre-match preparations, as you have to simultaneously consider not just your weapon and hero choice, but how the cards you and your team have picked interact with all of your other decisions.The cards can bring you so many strategies and bring so much depth, Xin Chang, Fragpunk creative director, says. We want the game to be more creative and add so many crazy ideas because the cards implement different, strange ideas.If you make a traditional competitive shooter game, you dont have the chance to bring so many turning points because maybe players care more about the balance or they dont accept so many changes to each round. But our feature is the change, so thats okay. You really need to play your cards right. | Image credit: NeteaseMany of the character abilities in Fragpunk feel very strong, from weapon skills like Brokers built-in rocket launcher and Hollowpoints one-shot one-kill sniper, to far-reaching teleports on Corona and Serket, Sonars muffling and Kismets enemy detection.The combination of powerful, often explosive, hero abilities and this constant ruleset shake-up gives Fragpunk a tangibly unique edge that could make every round feel exciting if Bad Guitar Studio can avoid a situation where some cards are so obviously better than others that they become an auto-pick.With all of these huge effects going off at once, Fragpunk can also feel chaotic and theres definitely a learning curve where it seems like youre getting blown away in one hit quite often, however, the intended direction for the game as players progress is away from ability spam and more towards strategic team-play and advanced movement.Our chaos comes from the cards. Thats why were very careful about making new cards, Xin explains. At least at first, we dont want new cards to be very overpowered - even though we play with a ban pick, we still try to make each card not OP, its very important.Chaos makes a game very fun to play and very casual. But if players play the game for a very long time as competitive players and develop their game skill they gain more control over winning and losing. It shouldnt be very chaotic. If its too much chaos and you dont have a way to win its basically luck. Thats what we dont want.Thats why weve made some strategies to make the game more competitive. Keep your eye on the competition. | Image credit: NeteaseOne of the ways Fragpunk brings these competitive strategies into the game is with the pace of play. Movement is designed to be fast and smooth, but not super-fast like Apex Legends.Bad Guitar has tried to find a sweet spot where things like bunny jumping and other advanced movement techniques are possible and encourage players to incorporate movement into their play rather than just standing still and shooting, but arent the main determining factor in whether you win a gunfight.The end result is supposed to reward a players skill with a marginal advantage that makes a solid difference in tight situations, but its apparently been a tough compromise to strike, as overturning movement can also lead to oppressive gameplans too.Some characters are very strong and we need to do some work on that balance. In our tests we found that players who can rush are very strong, Xin says. To take an example, we dont feel like its very healthy to have lots of characters who can rush into the point because its not very technical. Its very hard to defend them and makes the core gameplay more boring because you can just rush every time and take the spot. There's a wealth of Shard Cards tht you can choose from. | Image credit: NeteaseFor this example, we will nerf these kinds of characters. But if a character is strong in controlling the map or slowing the pace, we think its okay. We think thats healthier. Its good to keep that in the game and we dont want to make that kind of change, even if its strong.So it seems like the aim, almost counter-intuitively, behind strong character abilities is to act as a deterrent which slows the game down. Then, rather than relying on consistently overpowered hero abilities or ultra-fast movement to give matches a natural sense of speed, Fragpunk instead creates a flow by introducing a natural imbalance thats central to a roaring debate within competitive FPS games: team sizes.6v6 came along with Overwatch and we tried it in our maps, but it didnt work, Xin concedes. If youre 6v6 you can equally divide 3 people at A and 3 people at B, so it looks very balanced. But we found that its essential in a bomb defusal mode that your defending force at A, B and mid is not balanced.When its not balanced players can come up with different strategies, but when theres an equal number of players theres an optimal distribution, theres one best solution for defending. Thats too solid.Thats why for the game mode thats more similar to Counter Strike its 5v5, it cant be 6v6. But for the mode more similar to Overwatch, I think its okay because theyre totally different games - not like an FPS but more like a MOBA. You need to have a tank, a healer, a DPS, and that works. But for a bomb defusal mode its a proven solution and why were still 5v5.But within that 5v5 framework, there still look to be a huge amount of options for players immediately at launch, with more than a dozen characters, a full suite of weapons and over 100 Shard Cards. So while Fragpunk is free-to-play and will receive updates after launch, its not in Early Access. It somehow looks exactly like Fortnite and Apex at the same time? | Image credit: NeteaseIt also seems to be taking a more player-centred approach to the F2P model thats thankfully becoming more common, with battle passes that dont expire once youve bought them, skill-based match-making in ranked, but not in casual modes, and customisable cross-play with both console and PC, or neither if you prefer.Bad Guitar is a NetEase Games studio and it will be interesting to see if Fragpunk follows a similar trajectory to NetEases other recent competitive shooter, Marvel Rivals, which was wildly successful, but ultimately laid off its entire US-based development team soon after launch.Fragpunk obviously doesnt have the immediate grabber of the Marvel license, but what it does have is a genuinely unique central mechanic in Shard Cards, exciting and intense shooting, huge abilities, exciting character design and what looks like a broad enough content offering to maintain a playerbase once the launch hype has died down.I feel its an essential trend for online service games to have enough content when they launch, Xin states. If you have the ability to provide enough content, you should. I think for Early Access, purely, its because the team is small and they dont have enough efficiency for making enough content so they use Early Access to get some income to maintain development.I think if you have this kind of efficiency then you need to do as much as you can and be well prepared.Fragpunk launches on March 6 on PlayStation and Xbox consoles and on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Bad Guitar is investigating the possibility of a Nintendo Switch 2 port.