The world of portable monitors is jam-packed with copycat products. A quick search on Amazon will reveal dozens and dozens of displays with almost no discernible differences. Given how crowded the market is, anything that hopes to stand out as a truly great portable monitor needs to do something special the Espresso Display 15 manages to do so. Its certainly not the cheapest option at $299, but with an emphasis on simplicity and versatility, it stands out as one worth considering especially if you put an emphasis on picture quality.Espresso Display 15 - PhotosEspresso Display 15 Design and FeaturesThe Espresso Display 15 is the latest model from the Australian brand Espresso and is intended to be its most versatile product to date. Thus far, the company has made its name on the high-end positioning of its products, offering portable monitors that are premium-priced while also bearing a measure of quality thats difficult to find in the oversaturated market today. When I first discovered the brand, it was with the Espresso Pro 17, an $800 4K portable monitor that left me wondering how it could possibly be marketable at that price. Now that Ive had my hands on it, and the Display 15 which is the subject of this review, Espresso strikes me a bit like the Apple of portable monitors.While its clearly unafraid to charge a premium for its products, the Espresso Display 15 is its cheapest to date. Retailing for $300 ($500 for the touch version), its still more expensive than many other 15-inch 1080p monitors youll find on sites like Amazon and Newegg, and what its offering isnt going to be worthwhile for those who just need extra screen real estate. Instead, its a display for those who want a high quality screen that, while not as color-accurate as a great laptop screen or high-end monitor, can act as a worthy secondary display that requires absolutely minimum of setup.The Espresso Display 15 comes in simple, but stylish packaging, complementing the sleek design of the monitor itself. How much does that matter when youre likely going to be throwing the box out afterwards? Probably not that much, but good presentation is a nice touch when youre paying top dollar.Inside the box, youll find the display, a foldable magnetic stand, a purple USB Type-C cable (so youll never mix up which cable goes with the monitor), and a microfiber cleaning cloth. Theres no sleeve or carrying case and no screen protector included, which is disappointing at this price. Much cheaper options at least include a folio cover to keep the screen from getting scratched in a bag, but if you want either, youll need to pay $50 a piece if youre buying directly from Espresso.Theres value here, and the monitor is impressive in its own right, but it also demands the right kind of user to make the most of it.The monitor itself makes a great first impression with a chassis made entirely out of metal. Its exceptionally thin at only 0.2 inches (5mm) and has a large glossy screen it certainly sports a very premium look and feel. The stand does, too, which is also made entirely out of metal. It comes attached to the back of the case with strong neodymium magnets, showing rather than telling you how it mounts. Dont get me wrong, Id still prefer it if the monitor came with a folio or some other kind of travel case, but for holding the monitor upright, the Stand+ is leagues better. Most folio cases that come packed with its competitors fold into a little base the display tilts back against, similar to a tablet. The Stand+ is much closer to a traditional monitor stand like youd find with a full-size monitor but with a smaller footprint and the ability to fold for easy storage. When its compressed down, its a thin square that can easily drop into a messenger bag.Like the Espresso Stand and Stand Pro, which cost $49 and $99 respectively, that square unfolds into a heavy base, an extendable neck, and a flat, magnetized panel topped with non-slip silicone to hold the monitor securely in place. The Stand+ has a new trick up its sleeve: the base unfolds a second time, splitting into a pair of Plus Mode legs that lend the display around four inches of extra height, just enough to position it behind a 15-inch laptop to create a pair of stacked displays. If you prefer, you can use it on the side or even in portrait mode (the screen auto-rotates to match).After spending some time with it, however, its clear that Espresso designed the display to be used above a built-in laptop screen. It measures in at 14.1 x 10.1, which leaves quite a bit of unused real estate from its 16:9 aspect ratio. The side and top bezels are vanishingly thin, but between the tall bottom chin and another 0.88 inches of black space below the actual screen, its a noticeable blank space on an otherwise elegantly designed monitor. It actually looks a little strange at first, like its supposed to use a 16:10 or 3:2 aspect ratio. I had to double check the resolution when I used it for the first time, but this is by design.The black portion lines up perfectly with the screen of the bottom monitor, eliminating the bottom bezel when used in this mode.That blanked-out space allows the viewable screen space to sit higher and better for a stacked orientation. And having the extra physical height this design affords helps with stability when using the stand. I definitely feel its stable, which is exactly what you want from a display stand. You dont notice the unused space in a stacked orientation, but it stands out otherwise, so I wish there were another solution here. As someone who has tested a bunch of the cheaper portable monitors, I can say Espressos actual display is quite impressive. Ive purchased a number of portable monitors over the years, and theres no question that this display offers the best picture of them all. Its an IPS panel with a rated brightness of 300 nits. As you would expect from a full-size IPS monitor, it features great colors and viewing angles. The contrast ratio is quoted at 1000:1, but perhaps due to its smaller size, as Ill show in the performance section, neither of these ratings do it justice.Need a comfortable, high-performance mouse?Our Top PickLogitech MX Master 3SAn ergonomic mouse with impressive tracking and ample connectivity options, including Bluetooth LE and a USB wireless receiver.Check out our roundup of the best ergonomic mice!Since its not outright designed for gaming, it only supports a 60Hz refresh rate. This is fine, but you wont get the same buttery smooth movement that you would with a 120Hz or 144Hz gaming-grade portable monitor. There are no overdrive settings, so ghosting can be an issue. Still, for most games, it works fine just dont expect it to compete with actual gaming monitors for responsiveness and features. There are no onboard controls whatsoever. It picks up on power delivery through the USB-C port and turns itself on once its plugged in and stays on until its unplugged. There are two USB Type-C ports and support for power passthrough. You only need a single USB cable for full functionality on most modern laptops (Windows or Mac), but the second port can be used for a charger or adapter for older systems that dont provide enough power or display out over USB-C.All of the picture settings reside in the EspressoFlow software. Its a lightweight tool that you can use to align your monitors, lock the orientation, and adjust brightness and contrast, enable night mode, as well as choose from three picture presets Work, Play, and Create. It allows you to quickly create workspaces to partition your displays into defined quadrants that can be saved as layout profiles.The three picture presets are noticeably different from one another. The Work preset offers a cooler color temperature, while Create is a bit flatter and warmer, akin to an sRGB mode. The gaming preset is confusing, however, because it really just seems to make the picture overly warm and unappealing.While I appreciate that the company is providing a lightweight software option, I still wish there was a way to make some picture adjustments on the monitor itself. If you happen to use it with a laptop provided by a school or employer where you can't freely download software, you just won't have access to these features. A small low-profile button would be a welcome addition and could handle both power and navigate settings on a theoretical OSD. For now, though, configuration is relegated to software thats download-only.Espresso Display 15 PerformanceEspresso says that each panel is calibrated at the factory, so you can confidently use it straight out of the box. It looks great to the naked eye and I, of course, put it through a gamut of tests. Espresso is positioning itself as a higher quality alternative to the masses of other portable displays that are out there, and in many ways, it succeeds. I would choose the Espresso Display 15 over a generic monitor in a heartbeat. Espresso even over-delivers in some aspects, but it's also clear where some of the limitations come in.Click to enlarge.I used the DataColor SpyderPro colorimeter for formal benchmark testing and was quickly surprised at the insights it had to offer. For starters, both brightness and contrast excelled well beyond that monitors rated specs (dont mind the 0% brightness contrast rating, as it seems to throw off the SpyderPro on how to rank it). I ran the analysis twice, both in Work and Create picture presets. Create mode seems to clamp down brightness, but even so, it reached 354.7 nits. On the other hand, Work mode hit 414.8 nits.Contrast was impressive, too. In Work mode, it dropped as low as 1660:1 but generally hovered around 1600:1. Blacks are significantly darker here than Ive seen on some full-size, more expensive gaming monitors. In Create mode, it reached 1460:1 and had a significantly warmer color temperature of 5,000K to 5,300K. Given that the monitor looks best at 100% brightness, you can count on contrast ratios of 1,590:1 and 1,360:1 for better-than-expected dynamic range. Click to enlarge.Click to enlarge.Panel uniformity was a bit more mixed. Color uniformity was very good with Delta E ranges up to 2.9 for Work mode and 2.5 for Create mode. The ideal is 2.0 or lower; however, most people wont be able to perceive these slight inconsistencies in small sections of the screen. Brightness uniformity ranged more widely, which is expected for an IPS panel due to the nature of its backlight and lack of full array local dimming.Click to enlarge.Moving onto color performance, the panel covers 100% of the sRGB color space which is a good result for a portable monitor in this price range and 78% of the DCI-P3 range as well. The P3 gamut is a little low, but its still within the range of what you would expect in this tier of monitor. The display also follows the Gamma 2.2 brightness curve very well, so its clear Espresso used this as its baseline in calibration. Work and Create modes offered nearly identical results here with only very minor variation in the gamma curve.Click to enlarge.Color accuracy is really where the Espresso Display 15 falls short. Accuracy is measured in terms of Delta E values, where lower numbers indicate more accurate colors. As I mentioned previously, a value of 2.0 or lower is ideal, though most people wont be able to notice inaccuracies until that value reaches higher than 3.0 or even 4.0. For a monitor that is supposedly calibrated at the factory, it leans into oversaturation a bit too much for color-critical work. Surprisingly, the Create picture preset is less accurate than the default Work preset. I tested both multiple times and found the same results each time. Both modes are close with Work averaging a Delta E of 4.44 and Create averaging 4.52. The upper range for both was greater than 7.0 while most other hues hovered between 3.0 and 4.0. Click to enlarge.This doesnt necessarily mean that you wont like the picture. If you prefer extra vibrancy to your colors, you may actually prefer it this way. And as you can see from the analysis in Datacolors scorecard above, it ranks pretty well overall. What it does mean, however, is that youll still want to have the display calibrated before using it for any color-critical work. Its here that its more affordable positioning (relative to the rest of Espressos line-up) seems to show. For gaming, dont use the gaming preset actually, dont use it for anything. Its so warm that it can double as a night mode and it just doesnt look very good. Im genuinely confused as to what makes it gaming at all, but if you want a slightly less amber night mode, its there.I really enjoy the Work preset for gaming since its bright and the colors pop. The response time of the monitor isnt centered around gaming, and in fast-paced games like shooters, I did notice a bit of ghosting. For slower-paced games like Baldurs Gate 3, however, it offered a good experience.Purchasing GuideThe Espresso Display 15 is available for $299 on Amazon and directly from Espresso Displays. A touchscreen version of the monitor is also available for $499 from the Espresso site or $549 through Sweetwater.

Comic writer Gail Simone has revealed she worked on Warner Bros.' beleaguered Wonder Woman game before it was shelved yesterday.Simone, known for being the longest running female writer on Wonder Woman comics to date, praised the "dream team" working on the video game, insisting everyone she worked with from the now-shuttered Monolith and Warner Bros. was "enthusiastic and supportive.""I was asked to do long-term consulting on the game, and I was thrilled to do it, it was a perfect storm of stuff I adore," Simone wrote on social media. "Wonder Woman, video games, and one of my favorite games studios: Monolith, who produced the Game Of The Year Mordor games, that I was completely addicted to."The game was gorgeous and expansive. It was beautiful to look at. I am not going to give details for a number of reasons, but every effort was made to make this not just a great game, but a great Wonder Woman game. A showpiece epic."And all of that was because of the team. Everyone who worked on it brought their A-game. Programmers, artists, designers, everyone. I dont know that I have ever worked with a team that cared more about making sure the end product was perfect.""It was a dream come true. Wonder Woman had a dream team and they put their all into it," Simone concluded."They made sure it had WW and DC lore on every aspect of the game. It was a thrill and honor to work with them. I know theres a lot of finger-pointing going on, but everyone I worked with from Monolith and WB both was enthusiastic and supportive. Everyone wanted to make the best game ever."Announced in December 2021 with a brief teaser trailer and description, Wonder Woman was a single-player action adventure set in a dynamic open-world in which players became Diana of Themyscira in an original story set within the DC universe.Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Wonder Woman was in trouble after reportedly rebooting and switching directors early last year. It had already cost more than $100 million and was reportedly still years away from release.Monoliths reimagined Nemesis system (it developed the much-loved Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel) would have seen Wonder Woman befriending enemies, but the system was ditched in favor of a more traditional action adventure game.Yesterday, Warner Bros. announced the end of development on Wonder Woman and the closure of three of its studios: Monolith Productions, MultiVersus developer Player First Games, and WB San Diego.It followed a troubled year for Warner Bros.' video game division, first with the catastrophic release of Rocksteadys Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, then the disappointing release of Smash Bros.-style brawler MultiVersus. The company said Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagues failure contributed to a $200 million hit to its business, with MultiVersus adding another $100 million on top. Warner Bros. Games' only other recent release, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, also failed to make an impression.Meanwhile, fans of Monoliths much-loved Nemesis System are now lamenting its "wasted potential."Heres Warner Bros. statement:We have had to make some very difficult decisions to structure our development studios and investments around building the best games possible with our key franchises - Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC and Game of Thrones. After careful consideration, we are closing three of our development studios Monolith Productions, Player First Games and Warner Bros. Games San Diego. This is a strategic change in direction and not a reflection of these teams or the talent that consists within them.The development of Monoliths Wonder Woman videogame will not move forward. Our hope was to give players and fans the highest quality experience possible for the iconic character, and unfortunately this is no longer possible within our strategic priorities. This is another tough decision, as we recognize Monoliths storied history of delivering epic fan experiences through amazing games. We greatly admire the passion of the three teams and thank every employee for their contributions. As difficult as today is, we remain focused on and excited about getting back to producing high-quality games for our passionate fans and developed by our world class studios and getting our Games business back to profitability and growth in 2025 and beyond.Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE Decor editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.In a world of viral TikTok moments that seem to dominate conversations and headlines for a digital eternity, it can feel imperative to stay in the know. After all, trends encourage innovation and push designers and homeowners to experiment with materials, forms, and functions. The belief that timeless design is the answer is problematic for creatives like Noah Schwarz, vice president of product design at MillerKnoll, as it attempts to strip the character from a product to broaden appeal and ensure a long lifespan, which ironically can have just the opposite effectbland design which excites no one.Plus, following trends is fun. Take, for instance, last years Strega Nona fall craze, the coquette-ish bow trend, or peoples food-themed decor obsessions (tomato girl, we see you)all of it, if done tastefully, can be very demure, very mindful, if not an invitation to lean into a new look in your home. That said, trends often have a short life, one that furniture and design cant functionally or sustainably keep up with. Chasing trend cycles is something I discourage, says Schwarz. "I find it seldom produces good design and often contributes to the problematic fast-fashion mentality emerging in the furniture industry: a practice which is bad for the planet and ultimately a poor investment for the consumer.So how do you stay on trend and in the know, all while keeping an eye out for whats going to last? You learn to spot the elements in trends that show real signs of unquestionable staying power. For example, in the last few years weve seen a continued obsession with mixing pieces and eras, an ongoing interest in biomorphic modernism, and a desire to bring ones own paintbrush to a piece. At the same time, multifunctional pieces are reshaping how we live and interact with our spaces, with a movement towards intentionally cluttered furniture arrangements (its an art). For Schwarz, this is an exciting problem to have: Im inspired by the belief that its possible to develop long-lasting designs that speak to people decades later, without watering them down to the point of timelessness. To learn more about the trends with staying power we can expect to see in the coming year, we talked to industry experts who have a finger on the pulse of the furniture world. From curvy, organic forms to playful pops of color, here's a look at the top furniture trends that will define homes in 2025.The Statement Entry TableWilliam AbranowiczIn the entryway of Federico de Veras weekend retreat, the entry table is the moment. The 19th-century Chinese altar table features a collection of gilt-bronze candlesticks from Italy, France, and Mexico. In 2025, were all about making a good first impression. In the furniture realm, that means opting for a memorable entry table. Noel Fahden, vice president of global merchandising at Chairish, first noticed the surge in sales of what she calls unabashedly unique entry tables late 2024. There are a few factors at play here, says Noel Fahden, vice president of global merchandising at Chairish. First, with fewer people moving due to interest rates, shoppers seem to be swapping out individual furniture pieces in their existing homes for valuable statement items, she explains. The popularity of statement entry tables reflects this trend. People are staying put but still upgrading key furniture pieces, she explains. These tables are no longer just a place to drop keys or mail; an interesting entry table creates a bold focal point that elevates the entry moment, infusing the room with eye-catching materials like marble, reclaimed wood, or sculptural metal. When paired with an oversized mirror or unique lighting, it sets the tone for the entire home. Lean into the trend with sinuous tables crafted from natural materials and styles that will stand the test of time. Cluttered Furniture CollectionsNoe DeWittIn this sumptuous home by Redd Kaihoi, period Louis XV chairs surround two custom sofas in Lee Jofa fabric. Ottomans and side tables complete the look. The obsession with vintage furniture isnt new by any means, but it has never gained so much steam as it has this year. According to 1stdibs annual trend survey, which reached 643 interior designers this year, vintage furniture is on high demand, with 81% of designers sourcing products from the 1920s through the 1990s in 2024. But designers arent limiting themselves to a strictly vintage look. Theres a trend called intentional clutter that speaks to a heartfelt curation of new and old, collected and found, gifted and given, Katherine Finder, Anthropologie Homes chief merchandising officer, tells ELLE DECOR. Its all about the mix and creating spaces that are welcoming and comfortable.What does that look like? A 19-century desk surrounded by contemporary chairs with metal legs; vintage Italian sconces surrounding a painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat (if you have the funding); a couch from the 1970s in a recently built skyscraper. Its the merging of items that shouldnt belong together, all in the same room, that (when done tastefully) makes each of them more interesting. Schwarz, from MillerKnoll, described it best. Through mixing pieces and eras together, environments can be created which transcend time and trend. Biomorphic Modernist PiecesTrevor TondroIn this immersive Paris apartment designed by Uchronia, Verner Pantons iconic biomorphic cloverleaf velvet sofa anchors the library. Biomorphic modernism is making waves in the design world in 2025, and were here for it. Biomorphic modernism is inspired by the fluid forms found in nature. This trend focuses on curvilinear furniture, soft edges, and sculptural silhouettes that evoke a sense of flow and harmony. Pieces often feel natural and futuristic, thanks to its incorporation of materials like molded wood, resin, and ceramics. This trend reflects a growing desire to form a connection to nature in contemporary interiors, as its organic forms are a visually calming contrast to the straight lines and rigid forms of traditional minimalism. When asked which furniture, lighting and decor trends will become popular in 2025, the highest percentage of designers (almost half the votes, with 47%) in 1stDibs 2025 trend report chose curvy and irregular shapes. Were not surprised. Last summer, MillerKnoll reintroduced the 1941 Rohde Paldao table for Herman Miller, which Schwarz says perfectly represents the biomorphic modernism and materiality of its time. Thats after the Perron Pillo Sofa by Willo Perron for Knoll debuted at Salone Del Mobile last spring. Its been explosive since, says Omar Nobil, the creative director and vice president of product design at Design Within Reach. It is the perfect expression of a new form of modern American luxury, he adds. The precarious illusion of a stack of oversize cushions is juxtaposed by the formality of its precise architectural form. It renders anyone who finds themselves in the same room as the collection, defenseless to its charm. Wondering how to get the look in your space? Start by selecting statement pieces like curved sofas, rounded coffee tables, or sculptural chairs that break away from traditional geometric lines. Opt for materials like molded plywood, resin, and soft, textured fabrics to enhance the natural feel. To top it off, opt for pendant lights or floor lamps with undulating, wave-like shapes that mimic nature. A neutral or earth-toned palette allows the shapes and textures to be the focal point (give that Perron Pillo sofa its place in the spotlight!). Hand-Painted FurnitureView full post on TiktokIt was all the rage in the 70s: wood furniture was given a glow-up in the form of floral designs, groovy detailing, or a simple block of color. Now, homeowners today are taking inspiration from their paintbrush-wielding predecessors to the point where we had to ask if furniture flipping on TikTok has gone too far. The 2025 Pinterest Predicts Trend Report found that the search term hand painted furniture experienced a 135 percent uptick on Pinterest in between September 2022 and August 24and its set to continue on that trajectory. Meanwhile, on TikTok, page after page of posts show up under the hashtag #PaintedFurniture, showing brazen DIY TikTokers transforming their sad cabinets or vintage bookshelves into colorful statement pieces.Adulting? Overrated. In 2025, everyone will let their inner child shine, the report stated. Gen Z and Gen X will hand paint funky murals onto furniture, jazz up that trim and turn grown-up spaces into playful little havens. Your space is officially your canvas.Wondering which furniture piece in your house could use a little color? Its really as easy as grabbing a sander, some primerand trusting your inner Picasso. 1960s Furniture StylesStephen Kent JohnsonIn this Pacific Palisades home in Los Angeles designed by Paul Lszl, Shamshiri looked to the famed designers quirky yet functional furniture for inspiration on several custom pieces. The resurgence of furniture trends hailing from past decades is nothing new. The Art Deco craze persists, as do 80s and 90s home decor trends (Barbiecore was just the start). But a new furniture era has been coming back in favor with impressive staying power: the 60s. Were keeping our eye on the resurgence of 60s silhouettes and materiality, Sebastian Brauer, overseer of product design at Crate & Barrel and Crate & Kids, tells us, adding that it inspired their latest Crate & Kids spring collection.When you think of '60s interior design trends, chequered floors, retro appliances, and the Aquarian hippie aesthetic probably comes to mind. But brands today are giving these styles a modern twist. We added vintage inspired features, like a mod circular opening and glossy red finish, to elevated storage pieces like the Twiggy Bookcase, while the Calli collections natural burlwood adds a modern, beachy vibe to nurseries and kid bedrooms, Brauer explains. Of course, you can count on designers undying devotion to the midcentury modern look to align with the 60s comeback. According to 1stDibs 2025 Trend Report, 23% of designers surveyed predicted that the Eames lounge chair and ottoman would be the most popular iconic vintage seating in 2025. If youre ready to give your home a touch of vintage flair, lean into geometric shapes, bold color palettes, and anything designed by Charles and Ray Eames.Rachel SilvaAssociate Digital EditorRachel Silva is the associate digital editor at ELLE DECOR, where she covers all things design, architecture, and lifestyle. She also oversees the publications feature article coverage, and is, at any moment, knee-deep in an investigation on everything from the best spa gifts to the best faux florals on the internet right now. She has more than 16 years of experience in editorial, working as a photo assignment editor at Time and acting as the president of Women in Media in NYC. She went to Columbia Journalism School, and her work has been nominated for awards from ASME, the Society of Publication Designers, and World Press Photo.

It's easy to see interior designer Adam Hunter has a flair for the dramatiche did spend 10 years starring on Broadway, after all. These days, however, interiors are his main stage, and his epic work is hailed by Hollywood elite. Known for his dynamic, bespoke style, the designer was recently tasked by Hearst to renovate its West Hollywood studio and offices. This was no small challenge, considering the space was a raw warehouse.But the large, open floor plan and the building's bones gave Hunter all the inspiration he needed. "It's rare in Los Angeles to have a space like this, with the incredible architecture, the exposed wood beams, the curves, the skylights," he says. "So we wanted all those elements to be appreciated." He decided to use furniture with rounded edges to add warmth and make the large space feel more intimate and more connected. He went with a muted palette of blue, silver, and taupe throughout to create a calming canvas that would encourage creativity.To make his vision a reality, Hunter sourced everything, from furniture to fixtures, from Wayfair Professional, a one-stop trade shop that's well-stocked with commercial items for every space, style, and budget. Its free membership program for everyone from renovators and restaurant owners to short-term rental hosts provides exclusive pricing on products from Wayfair Professional and its specialty brands (which include AllModern, Joss & Main, Birch Lane, and their luxury brand Perigold), bulk discounts, dedicated support, and fast free shipping. "One of the best things about Wayfair Professional is the consolidation process," Hunter adds. "They'll ship everything to their warehouse, inspect it, and then deliver it to you in one shot."Fill your world with Hunter's Wayfair Professional finds below. For more commercial style inspiration, exclusive pro pricing, and design services, enroll in Wayfair Professional today.

As the US and China pursue dominance in the global technology race, concerns are mounting among European founders that the regions entrenched bureaucracy is impeding its capacity for innovation and growth.The EU is going overboard on tech regulation, said Job van der Voort, CEO and founder of Remote, an HR tech company valued at over $3bn. Its stifling innovation and its a massive risk for Europe.Van der Voort told TNW that many business leaders share his view. Most entrepreneurs agree this is a huge problem, he said.Indeed, such concerns are being raised with growing frequency.Register NowAt a conference in Paris earlier this month, the likes of Mistral CEO Arthur Mensch and DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis repeatedly called for regulation in Europe that is flexible enough to support innovation and competitiveness. A little over a week later, Dutch software unicorn Bird took drastic steps to escape overregulation, announcing plans to move most of its operations out of Europe.I think more companies will be forced to do the same [as Bird], said van der Voort. But the biggest impact will be at the early stage.The founder highlighted the ongoing trend of European startups crossing the Atlantic to scale. Research by London-based VC Hoxton Ventures found that nearly all European startups with over $500mn in revenue including Spotify, Wise, and Adyen succeeded by winning the US market.Van der Voort believes burdensome tech regulation is encouraging moves beyond the continent. Its becoming unattractive to start and maintain a business here, he said. Thats why I tell startups to leave Europe if they want to succeed.Van der Voort has followed his own advice. After he and Marcelo Lebre founded Remote in 2019, the partners decided to base the company in San Francisco. It was simply easier to start it there, he said.Remote, which helps businesses hire and manage remote teams, has grown rapidly since then. In 2022, the company raised $300mn in a Series C round that pushed its valuation above $3bn.The EU needs to consider its own fate over the next decades, warned van der Voort. Regulation standing in the way of innovation that makes it harder for startups and is incredibly hurtful for the economy. Job van der Voort is a former speaker atTNW Conference, which takes place on June 19-20 in Amsterdam. Tickets for the event arenow on sale. Use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the check-out to get 30% off the price tag. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Also tagged with

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is availableon iTunes and Apples Podcasts app,Stitcher,TuneIn,Google Play, or through ourdedicated RSS feedfor Overcast and other podcast players.Sponsored by ChargeASAP: Check out the Flash Pro Ultra, featuring a new 275W power bank with an OLED screen that can charge up to 6 devices simultaneously, including your MacBook, phone, smartwatch, and more!New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as theyre available.Stories discussed in this episode:Listen & Subscribe:Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock:Ad-free versions of every episodeBonus contentCatch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes!Dont miss out on our other daily podcasts:Share your thoughts!Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.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

iOS 18.4 is now available in beta, and one of its main additions came as a total surprise: a new Food hub and cooking experience for Apple News. However, theres a new Home product launching soonI call it HomePadthat the cooking feature seems perfectly built for.New cooking feature in iOS 18.4 offers guided recipe experienceiOS 18.4 was originally expected to be a big update for Siri improvements. While those so far are absent from the first beta and may get pushed to iOS 18.5, the addition of new food features is an unexpected highlight.Exclusive to Apple News+ subscribers, the News app in iOS 18.4 provides access to a dedicated Food section containing recipes, info on restaurants, a cooking feature, and more.The recipe feature and cooking mode, in particular, seem designed for Apples forthcoming HomePad product. Heres how Apple describes them in its press release:With the new Food feature, users will be able tobrowse, search, and filter tens of thousands of recipes in the Recipe Catalog with new recipes added every day. The beautifully designed recipe format makes it easy to review ingredients and directions, and a new cook mode takes step-by-step instructions to the full screen. Users can also save their favorite recipes for later and access them offline.The cooking interface bears a lot of similarity to Apple Musics lyrics feature, as well as transcripts in Apple Podcasts.Essentially, its a clean, elegant view that puts a big spotlight on text. Your current step in the cooking process will be highlighted, while other steps are dimmed but still visible.And while this works fine on iPhone and iPad, it no doubt will be a tentpole feature of the new HomePad when it launcheslikely this spring. Perhaps there will even be a dedicated Cook app in homeOS.Mark Gurman has reported that Apples HomePad will have a modular design suited for any space around the home:Apple has designed different attachments for the device, including ones that affix the screens onto walls like a classic home-security panel. There will be bases with additional speakers that can be placed in the kitchen, on a nightstand or on a desk. Apple imagines the FaceTime feature being used while cooking or for videoconferencing during work meetings.Gurman doesnt mention this, but I wouldnt be surprised if theres a magnetic attachment for refrigerators too.Our own reporting has revealed references to the new Home product in iOS 18.4 code, plus CookingKit references that seem ideal for HomePad support.You can imagine this new cooking interface fitting in perfectly on a HomePad. I suspect the device will support hands-free navigation through a recipe, too, so you can say, Siri, next step when youre ready to move forward.Cooking support is just one of many features the HomePad is expected to offer, but already it sounds like the new Home device will offer unique advantages over Apples existing hardware options.Would you use a HomePad to help you cook? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.Best HomeKit smart home accessoriesAdd 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

Google's use of AI is an embarrassment.Google is being sued by Chegg yes, the barely-hanging-on company that has furnished many a college student with homework answers and cheap textbooks over its infamously shoddy AI Overviews, .In a lawsuit filed Monday, Chegg accused the tech giant of abusing its monopoly of the search engine market to pressure websites like itself into letting its content be scraped by Google's AI tools for free. The advent of AI Overviews, the company says, has turned Google from a "search engine" into an "answer engine."And the upshot, per the lawsuit, is that by summarizing its material in the AI-powered search summaries, Google is diverting traffic away from Chegg's website and hurting its bottom line. The foundering California-based tech company laid off hundreds of employees last year, suffering a 24 percent decline in year-over-year net revenue, according to a recent company statement, with its stock barely trading above one dollar."Our lawsuit is about more than Chegg it's about the digital publishing industry, the future of internet search, and about students losing access to quality, step-by-step learning in favor of low-quality, unverified AI summaries," Chegg CEO Nathan Schultz said in the statement.Chegg's complaints echo the concerns voiced by itself and others at the cusp of the AI boom with the explosion of ChatGPT. Back then, the question was whether chatbots like OpenAI's would displace search engines as the go-to way of looking up information, fundamentally changing the internet ecosystem as we know it, and hurting Google's lucrative search business, from which it earns hundreds of billions of dollars in ad revenue.The tables have since turned, at least somewhat. Google has gotten ahead of the potential existential threat by integrating the AI Overviews, which are turned on by default and are shown to around one billion users according to the company, into its search engine. It's further profited by integrating ads straight into the search summaries.Almost immediately, Google's search summaries caused alarm among websites and news publishers about how they could vacuum up web traffic. As a small concession, Google began including inline links to websites cited in the summaries, making them more visible than before. However, Google reiterated that it wouldn't share any ad money with the websites whose content is cited in the AI Overviews.All the while, little progress has been made regarding the quality of the summaries, which have been mocked for their frequent hallucinations, including the now infamous case of recommending you put glue on pizza. That was nearly a year ago; to this day is still provides asteady drip of brain-meltingly stupid answers.Nonetheless, Google argues that its AI summaries are a positive force in the world of web search."With AI Overviews, people find Search more helpful and use it more, creating new opportunities for content to be discovered," a company spokesperson told Reuters. "Every day, Google sends billions of clicks to sites across the web, and AI Overviews send traffic to a greater diversity of sites."Share This Article

What hasn't been said about artificial intelligence? It's a disruptor, a game changer, the next technological revolution. Soon we'll all be chilling with our feet up while our AI assistants do all the heavy lifting right?One economist isn't so sure. A new study by Caleb Maresca at New York University predicts that just the looming possibility of transformative AI has the potential to completely upend the economy in a bad way, decimating wages and sending interest rates skyward."My findings reveal that expectations of [transformative AI]can substantially affect current economic conditions," Maresca writes, "even before any technological breakthrough occurs."The study looks at possible dates when AI will be ready to automate work what Maresca calls "transformative AI" to predict how the hype will affect the economy,in a thought experiment that raises grim possibilities.For one thing, a growing expectation that AI will gut the price companies pay for work could lead to huge increases in interest rates the cost of expected inflation on borrowed money by as much as 10-16 percent in some scenarios. This would mean the cost of starting a new business or buying a house goes to the Moon, scaring people into saving more and spending less.(That might be prudent on an individual level, but at scale, it's generally seen as bad for the health of the economy.)It's impossible to know just how much work AI will actually end up taking over, but the study safely assumes big business will revel in any chance to cut costs on labor no doubt the ultimate endgame of AI development. Indeed, today's ultra-wealthy are already positioning to take the helm, boosting AI hype as they do.Just weeks ago, OpenAI CEO and billionaire Sam Altman declared that AI will require a new social contract. Earlier, fintech CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski bragged that his company's AI agent could do the work of "700 full-time" employees while laying off 22 percent of his workforce. And of course there's Elon Musk, who once pined that "jobs will be optional for humans" in the near future.But Maresca's work indicates otherwise."When AI automates a job whether a truck driver, lawyer, or researcher the wages previously earned by the human worker dont vanish or automatically transform into broader economic gains," the economist notes. "Instead, they flow to whoever controls the AI system performing that job."That's great news for anyone who owns an AI company, and bad news for the rest of us. Under these conditions, households might try to save cash to afford slices of the AI pie, though the race to save would create a "form of prisoner's dilemma in saving behavior," as Maresca puts it.If all of this is true, then AI hype might soon lead the USinto a scenario like Russia's, where one percent of the population holds over 55 percent of the nation's wealth, and low wages mean thatover half of adults have less than $10,000 in assets to their name. And it could even be worse unlike our imagined future, there's currently a huge demand for human labor in Russia.Though his analysis is not a prescription, Maresca told Futurism that "the best thing people can do collectively is to push politicians to enact policies that ensure that the wealth that will be created by [transformative AI] is shared broadly. This is especially relevant if AI leads to persistently high unemployment.""On an individual level, it is important to prepare for the possibility that traditional capital may be much more important in the future and that human capital could sharply depreciate in value," the economist said, noting that he's not a licensed financial advisor. "For most people, their human capital is by far their largest source of income, and so this could be a huge financial loss."It's a stern warning that an AI utopia is only as good as the society that makes it and at the moment, we have a lot of work to do.Share This Article

Feb 26, 2025Ravie LakshmananNetwork Security / Threat IntelligenceThe Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) on Tuesday warned of renewed activity from an organized criminal group it tracks as UAC-0173 that involves infecting computers with a remote access trojan named DCRat (aka DarkCrystal RAT).The Ukrainian cybersecurity authority said it observed the latest attack wave starting in mid-January 2025. The activity is designed to target the Notary of Ukraine.The infection chain leverages phishing emails that claim to be sent on behalf of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, urging recipients to download an executable, which, when launched, leads to the deployment of the DCRat malware. The binary is hosted in Cloudflare's R2 cloud storage service."Having thus provided primary access to the notary's automated workplace, the attackers take measures to install additional tools, in particular, RDPWRAPPER, which implements the functionality of parallel RDP sessions, which, in combination with the use of the BORE utility, allows you to establish RDP connections from the Internet directly to the computer," CERT-UA said.The attacks are also characterized by the use of other tools and malware families like FIDDLER for intercepting authentication data entered in the web interface of state registers, NMAP for network scanning, and XWorm for stealing sensitive data, such as credentials and clipboard content.Furthermore, the compromised systems are used as a conduit to draft and send malicious emails using the SENDMAIL console utility in order to further propagate the attacks.The development comes days after CERT-UA attributed a sub-cluster within the Sandworm hacking group (aka APT44, Seashell Blizzard, and UAC-0002) to the exploitation of a now-patched security flaw in Microsoft Windows (CVE-2024-38213, CVSS score: 6.5) in the second half of 2024 via booby-trapped documents.The attack chains have been found to execute PowerShell commands responsible for displaying a decoy file, while simultaneously launching additional payloads in the background, including SECONDBEST (aka EMPIREPAST), SPARK, and a Golang loader named CROOKBAG.The activity, attributed to UAC-0212, targeted supplier companies from Serbia, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine between July 2024 and February 2025, with some of them recorded against more than two dozen Ukrainian enterprises specializing in development of automated process control systems (ACST), electrical works, and freight transportation.Some of these attacks have been documented by StrikeReady Labs and Microsoft, the latter of which is tracking the threat group under the moniker BadPilot.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE