The Nintendo DS' stylus-based messaging app PictoChat wasn't the first place I instant-messaged (that would be my friend's AIM account) but it was absolutely the least overwhelming and most pleasant place it happened. PicoChat, an iMessage app from developer Idrees Hassan that you can download right now, attempts to recapture some of that peer-to-peer messaging magic on your iPhone.PicoChat looks like a version of PictoChat thats been squeezed into the lower-third of your iPhone, complete with alphanumeric and emoji keyboards, and controls to change the line weight of your drawings. It wouldnt be PictoChat without the ability to draw and write with a stylus, so PicoChat also goes the extra mile and displays an onscreen stylus when you doodle with your finger.ian Carlos Campbell for EngadgetNintendo debuted PictoChat alongside the original Nintendo DS in 2004 as more of a curiosity than a play at messaging dominance. The app required both messengers to connect their handhelds over the same Wi-Fi network, which naturally limited its reach as a communication tool. Still, Nintendo included the software on the DS Lite and the DSi in 2006 and 2009, respectively, and the 3DS optional Swapnote app was considered a spiritual successor of sorts when it came out in 2011.PicoChat can't fully recreate the small, personal feeling of PictoChat while strapped on top of iMessage, but if you miss the cumbersome, but considered messaging of your DS days, it's a pretty great hit of nostalgia.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-dream-of-pictochat-on-the-nintendo-ds-lives-on-in-this-imessage-app-194040764.html?src=rss

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TJX Companies, parent company of TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, among other retail brands,reported strong sales and operating results on Wednesday for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended February 1.For Q4, TJX exceeded Wall Streets revenue expectations, with sales of $16.35 billion. However, its revenue and earnings guidance for the coming fiscal year were below analyst expectations, according to a consensus estimate cited by CNBC.Key takeawaysHere are the main points from the announcement:Q4 fiscal 2025 (13-week period):Net sales: $16.4 billion (flat compared to the prior years 14-week period).Consolidated comparable store sales: increased by 5%.Net income: $1.4 billion.Diluted earnings per share (EPS): $1.23, a 1% increase from the prior years adjusted EPS of $1.12.Growing retail footprint and store countIn contrast to other retail giants that have faced recent bankruptcies and sweeping store closures or have gone out of business altogether, TJX has continued its expansion efforts, hitting a major milestone last year by opening its 5,000th store. The company increased its global store count by 131 stores during fiscal 2025, bringing its total to 5,085 stores.TJX also grew its total retail square footage by 2% year-over-year. In the United States, store counts and gross square footage increased as follows:TJ Maxx: 1,319 to 1,333 stores, square footage from 35.7M to 36.0MMarshalls: 1,197 to 1,230 stores, square footage from 33.7M to 34.4MHomeGoods: 919 to 943 stores, square footage from 21.4M to 22.1MSierra: 95 to 117 stores, square footage from 2.0M to 2.4MHomesense: 55 to 72 stores, square footage from 1.5MI am very proud of the performance of our hardworking Associates in 2024," CEO and president Ernie Herrman said in a statement. "We exceeded our expectations with over $56 billion in annual sales, a 4% comparable store sales increase, and a significant boost in profitability."Shares of TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX) were up around 3% in late-day trading on Wednesday after the report.

President Donald Trump began dismantling his predecessors climate change and renewable energy policies on his first day in office, declaring a national energy emergency to speed up fossil fuel development a policy he has summed up asdrill, baby, drill.The declaration calls on the federal government to make it easier for companies to build oil and gas projects, in part by weakening environmental reviews, with the goal of lowering prices and selling to international markets.Democrats say thats a sham. They point out that the U.S. is producing more oil and natural gas than any other country and the Biden administrations Inflation Reduction Act boosted renewable energy at a critical time, creating jobs and addressing the climate change threat 2024 was Earths hottest year on recordamid the hottest 10-year stretch on record.Democrats were expected to offer a resolution in the Senate on Wednesday to terminate Trumps declaration, a move likely to be only symbolic given their minority status. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has already made the U.S. an even friendlier environment for fossil fuels. Congress is helping, too, with the House set to vote on a measure to repeal a Biden administration-era methane fee on oil and gas producers.Here are some ways the Trump administration has done so:Lifting a pause on LNG exportsThe Biden administration last yearpaused evaluations of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals. That pleased environmentalists concerned that a big surge in exports would contribute to planet-warming emissions. The pause didnt stop projects already under construction, but it delayed consideration of new projects.Trump reversed that pause.On Tuesday, oil and gas giant Shell said global LNG demand is forecast to rise by around 60% by 2040.The United States is expected to play a major role in meeting that demand, with its export capacity expected to double before 2030, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.I think investors have become much more comfortable that they can move towards final investment decisions without the concerns that they had over the last four years about potential roadblocks, said Christopher Treanor, an energy and environmental attorney at the law firm Akin.Drilling expansionTrump has opened more land for oil and gas lease sales, shifting away from Bidens efforts to protect environmentally sensitive areas like Alaskas National Wildlife Refuge and to prevent large swaths of ocean from being available for offshore drilling, including major areas off coasts in the Pacific, Atlantic and parts of Alaska.Environmental groups are suing to stop Trumps moves.Expanding the area available for companies to lease and drill doesnt necessarily mean that more oil and gas will be produced. When leases were made available in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, for example, only smaller companies bid andthere were no buyers for a second lease sale.Army Corps appears ready to help projects sidestep the Clean Water ActThe Army Corps of Engineers marked hundreds of Clean Water Act permits for fast-tracking, citing Trumps order on energy, then removed that notation in its database. The agency said it needed to review active permit applications before publishing which ones will be fast-tracked.They dont seem to be backing off, said Tom Pelton, spokesman with the Environmental Integrity Project. They are just going to refine the list.Many of the permit applications that had been listed for expediting are for fossil fuel projects, but some others have nothing to do with energy, including a housing subdivision proposed by Chevron in southern California, according to the Environmental Integrity Project.David Bookbinder, the organizations director of law and policy, said the Trump administration is using the pretext of a national energy emergency to ask a federal agency to circumvent environmental protections to justify building more fossil fuel power plants. Bookbinder said theres no shortage of energy.Slashing the federal workforcePat Parenteau, professor emeritus at Vermont Law & Graduate School, said Trumps policy changes arent nearly as important as the deep cuts to the federal government that eliminate vital expertise.I think they are going to accomplish what no other administration has been able to do in terms of crippling the institutional capacity of the federal government to protect public health, to conserve national resources to save endangered species, he said. That is where we are going to see long-term, permanent damage.Trumps energy emergency calls, for example, forundermining Endangered Species Act protectionsto ensure fast energy development, even assembling a rarely used committee the so-called God Squad that could have authority to dismiss significant threats to species. That move was coupled with recent deep cuts to the Fish & Wildlife Service, which administers the law.Parenteau said some species are likely to go extinct.Executive orders take aim at renewablesTrump alsotargeted wind energywith an order to temporarily halt offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pause federal approvals, permits and loans for projects both onshore and offshore.In another order, he listed domestic energy resources that could help ensure a reliable, diversified and affordable supply of energy. Solar, wind and battery storage were omitted, thoughsolar is the fastest-growing source of electricity generationin the United States. Trump has vowed to end tax credits for renewables as well, which would push up prices.Substantially slowing renewables could leave the U.S. wedded to coal and gas for far longer as coal plants are extended and new gas plants are built, said David Shepheard, partner and energy expert at the global consultant Baringa.Shepheard said the U.S. is facing unprecedented growth in electricity demand largely to meet needs from data centers and artificial intelligence, and increasingly the deck is stacked against renewables to meet it.A Baringa analysis found Trumps policies will drive up emissions and put the agreed-upon international climate threshold further out of reach.Michael Phillis and Jennifer McDermott, Associated PressAssociated Press writers Matthew Daly and Patrick Whittle contributed reporting.

Temus absolutely spoilt us to a point where we now have tablets that are the same price as an Uber to the Airport. Android tablets have always been the go-to option for people who want a functional slate without spending iPad money. Apple has firmly planted itself in the premium category, with its cheapest iPad still costing a few hundred dollars, while the Android market is filled with choices that are often priced well below that. Some are excellent value for money, like Samsungs Galaxy Tab series, while others dive so deep into budget territory that you start wondering how manufacturers are even making a profit. The Teclast M50 Plus is one such device. At just $86, it costs less than a dinner for two in most citiesor, more absurdly, less than an Apple Pencil. Yes, the stylus Apple sells for drawing on an iPad is more expensive than this entire touchscreen computer, complete with a display, battery, processor, and cameras.That comparison highlights two things. First, it shows just how aggressively budget-friendly the M50 Plus is. If you need a basic tablet for media consumption, web browsing, or even some light work, its hard to argue against something that costs less than a pair of high-end wireless earbuds. But on the flip side, it also sheds light on the staggering markups applied to consumer electronics. When a full-fledged tablet is cheaper than a single accessory, it raises the question of how much these products actually cost to make before branding, marketing, and profit margins drive up their prices. The M50 Plus is a rare peek behind the curtaina reminder that in tech, what you pay isnt always what it costs.Designer: TeclastBefore dismissing it as an e-waste disaster, though, lets give the M50 Plus a fair look. Teclast has been making affordable tablets for years, and while they dont compete with Samsungs Galaxy Tabs or Apples iPads, they do offer surprisingly usable experiences at shockingly low prices. The M50 Plus follows this formula, packing a 10.1-inch fully laminated IPS display with a resolution of 19201200. Its a step up from the washed-out 720p panels youll find on some budget models, and with TV Rheinland-certified eye protection, it even throws in a bit of blue light reduction. At 350 nits of brightness, its not going to outshine the sun, but it should be perfectly fine for indoor use and the occasional coffee shop session.Under the hood, the M50 Plus is powered by the MediaTek Helio G85, a processor that sits in the lower mid-range but can handle everyday tasks without much fuss. Web browsing, video streaming, and even casual gaming should run smoothly, thanks to the Mali-G52 MC2 GPU. Theres 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM, with the option to expand it virtually by another 10GBthough virtual RAM is more of a marketing gimmick than a real performance booster. Storage-wise, you get 128GB of eMMC space, which isnt as fast as UFS storage but should be enough for a good number of apps, media, and documents.The M50 Plus runs on Android 14 with a relatively clean interface. Teclasts software isnt as polished as what youd find on a Samsung tablet, but it does include features like Parallel View for split-screen multitasking and an improved Taskbar for quicker app switching. There are also parental controls, making this an option for kids who need a basic tablet for school or entertainment. For that price its surprising for the tablet to even have cellular, but the M50 Plus pulls through with 4G capabilities beyond the obvious Wi-Fi. You obviously cant expect 5G, but then again how often do people use cellular data on a tablet? Hardly.Cameras arent usually a priority on budget tablets either, so the M50 Plus keeps things simple. A 13MP rear camera with flash support should be adequate for scanning documents and the occasional photo, while the 8MP front camera will handle video calls just fine. No ones buying this to replace their phones camera, and thats perfectly okay.With a 7000mAh cell inside, the M50 Plus should last a full day on a single charge with moderate use. It charges via USB-C, which is expected in 2025, but at this price point, you never know when a micro-USB port might make an unwelcome appearance. Dual-channel speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack (yes!), and support for WiFi 5GHz and Bluetooth 5.0 round out the connectivity options. All this sits in a package just 8.3mm thin, which is marginally thicker than the baseline iPad from Apple.Its easy to be cynical about a tablet this cheap. After all, budget devices often cut so many corners that they end up being more frustrating than useful. But the M50 Plus makes an honest attempt at delivering value without completely sacrificing usability. Its not trying to be an iPad killerits a no-frills device for people who need a functional tablet without spending a fortune. Whether that means a secondary screen for streaming, a digital notebook for students, or an affordable option for kids, the M50 Plus proves that, sometimes, less is more.The post This $86 Android Tablet Costs Less Than An Apple Pencil Meet The Teclast M50 Plus first appeared on Yanko Design.

In safjrur, Iceland, a small fishing town framed by towering fjords, a simple crosswalk has turned into an optical illusion that stops more than just pedestrians. Painted to appear as if it floats above the pavement, the design plays with perspective in a way that immediately changes how drivers and pedestrians interact with the space. Its a reminder that even the most routine elements of a city can be reimagined with a bit of creativity.Designers: Local Artists in safjrurThis design shocks drivers into slowing down, making them question what theyre seeing before instinctively easing off the gas. The illusion makes drivers hesitate, causing a natural reduction in speed as they approach. That hesitation slows down traffic without the need for speed bumps or extra signage. Its a crosswalk that does more than mark the road; it actively influences how people move through the town.A Painted Illusion That Alters Behavior and City PlanningLocal artists and city planners worked together to rethink a basic road feature, turning a mundane crosswalk into an attention-grabbing optical illusion. The goal was simple: make pedestrians more visible while influencing driver behavior naturally.Creating the effect required precise mathematical calculations and a deep understanding of visual perception. City planners consulted experts in optical illusions to ensure the floating effect would remain consistent from multiple vantage points. The process involved careful placement of shadows, paint layering techniques, and extensive testing before finalizing the design. The design had to be carefully measured so that, from a drivers vantage point, the floating illusion remained convincing. A shift in angle dissolves the effect, revealing the painted bars as they truly are.This project has sparked discussions about alternative approaches to urban planning. Cities traditionally rely on rigid enforcement methods like traffic lights and speed bumps to manage road safety. The safjrur crosswalk, however, demonstrates that visual perception alone can be a powerful tool for behavioral change. Urban designers are increasingly looking at how similar artistic interventions can enhance walkability and traffic management in ways that feel less restrictive and more engaging. Instead of flashing lights or intrusive speed bumps, the illusion taps into human perception, triggering an automatic response. Drivers instinctively hesitate because their brains detect an obstacle where none exists. That moment of uncertainty slows them down just enough to improve safety without disrupting traffic flow.From Local Experiment to Global FascinationWhat started as a local safety project quickly gained international attention. Images of the crosswalk spread across social media, drawing curiosity from urban planners, artists, and travelers alike. People marveled at how a simple visual trick could influence behavior on the road, sparking broader discussions about the role of perception in urban design.City officials from around the world have taken notice. Municipalities in India, China, and several European nations have launched pilot programs testing their versions of optical illusion crosswalks. Some cities are experimenting with augmented reality elements, where crosswalks change appearance based on time of day or pedestrian traffic, further integrating technology with artistic street design. Optical illusions are being incorporated into pedestrian crossings, bike lanes, and even public squares. In New Delhi, bold 3D markings guide traffic, while European capitals experiment with dynamic pavement art that engages both drivers and pedestrians. The safjrur crosswalk is no longer just a practical experimentit represents a shift in how cities use visual storytelling to shape movement and interaction.A Broader Movement in 3D Street ArtThis crosswalk taps into something much larger. Artists have been using perspective tricks to reshape public spaces for decades, but the shift toward integrating these illusions into functional city design is only growing. Edgar Mller transforms ordinary sidewalks into bottomless caverns. Kurt Wenner blends Renaissance painting techniques with street murals that appear to extend into another dimension. Julian Beever turns blank pavement into windows into impossible scenes.Street art has always blurred the line between visual spectacle and urban experience, but projects like the safjrur crosswalk push that conversation further. Instead of being confined to murals or temporary chalk drawings, these designs are becoming embedded into city infrastructure, where they serve a real purpose.Where Does This Lead?The success of safjrurs crosswalk raises possibilities that go beyond pedestrian safety. Cities are already experimenting with kinetic sidewalks that shift color with footsteps, building facades that interact with movement, and streets designed to change with the seasons. The line between art and infrastructure is dissolving, opening up new ways to engage with public spaces.This project started as a localized experiment, but its impact has reshaped how urban planners think about street design. It highlights the power of creativity in city planning and proves that even simple visual interventions can change how people experience public spaces. But here it is, stopping traffic in more ways than one.The post The 3D Crosswalk Phenomenon: How Optical Illusions Are Transforming Urban Safety first appeared on Yanko Design.

Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert says reinforcement learning is helping his creations gain more independence.