The moment I lifted the ZenBook A14 from its packaging, I knew this wasnt just another laptop. My fingers immediately registered something different about the surfacethis Ceraluminum chassis feels unlike anything Ive handled before. Its incredibly light at 989 grams, yet theres a substantive quality that defies its featherweight status. I spent the first few minutes simply turning it in my hands, marveling at how something so structurally solid could weigh so little.Designer: ASUSOpening the lid revealed another surprise. The hinge moves smoothly and requires minimal effort yet holds position where I place it. The screen unfolds to reveal a keyboard that sits at a subtle angle thanks to the tapered design. My wrists settled into a comfortable typing position without the usual adjustment period. The matte finish of my Iceland Gray model has an understated elegance. Running my fingertips across the surface reveals a texture that provides grip without feeling rough.After hours of use, I noticed only minimal smudges appearing on the lidthe Ceraluminum material seems to resist fingerprints better than most laptops Ive used. While not completely fingerprint-proof, the marks are subtle and far less noticeable than on typical glossy surfaces. An occasional light wipe is all thats needed to maintain the laptops clean appearance, which is a welcome change from constantly polishing other devices.Typing on the keyboard feels comfortable. The keycaps provide good tactile feedback with each press. While not completely silent, the keyboard is reasonably quiet compared to many laptops Ive used. The glass touchpad offers ample room for navigation, and multi-finger gestures register reliably. The simulated click works well for my needs.I appreciate how the edges of the touchpad blend into the palm rest, creating a cohesive surface. Due to its lightweight design, carrying the A14 between my living room and upstairs office was effortless. The slim profile makes it comfortable to grip in one hand, and the textured surface provides enough friction that it doesnt feel slippery.Setting up in different areas of my home required me to manually adjust the screen brightness to suit each environment. I found myself tweaking the display settings when moving from my bright living room to my dimmer upstairs office. The keyboard backlighting is helpful in lower light conditions.The 60Hz OLED display offers vibrant colors that make the content look appealing, though I notice it doesnt have the smoother scrolling experience of higher refresh rate screens found on some other laptops. The text appears crisp and readable, which I appreciate when working on documents. The minimal bezels create an immersive viewing experience that makes good use of the 14-inch screen size.The port selection includes what I need for basic connectivity, though some users might need dongles for specialized peripherals. One amazing feature is the claimed 32-hour battery life for video playbackthough real-world mixed usage will likely be less, its still impressive for an ultraportable.The port layout on the ZenBook A14 is well-considered. ASUS has distributed the connections in a way that makes practical sense for most workspace setups. The USB-C ports are positioned where my power cable naturally falls, keeping the charging cable organized. When connecting an external display, the HDMI port allows the cable to be routed neatly.After just a few hours of use, Ive developed an appreciation for how the ZenBook A14 balances aesthetic design with usability. While its not without limitationsparticularly regarding the Snapdragon X processor, which offers excellent battery life but may have some performance and software compatibility trade-offs compared to x86 processorsit feels like a thoughtfully designed device for those prioritizing portability.The A14 is both capable and unobtrusive, offering its features without unnecessary complexity. In a world of devices competing for attention, this straightforward approach is refreshing.Yanko Designs full review is forthcoming, but I just wanted to provide you with my initial impression of the design. While Ive highlighted what I personally find appealing about the ZenBook A14, potential buyers should certainly seek out comprehensive, objective reviews that thoroughly test performance, battery life, and compatibility before making a purchase decision.The post My First Day with the ASUS ZenBook A14 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Great design often begins with a spark of spontaneity, an idea so compelling it demands to be realized. The Slot Chair is one such creation, born from a fleeting sketch and transformed into a striking yet functional piece. It is a testament to the power of instinctive creativity, proving that the simplest ideas can lead to the most fascinating innovations.At its core, the Slot Chair is a sculptural yet functional piece made from just two pieces of plywood. One is gracefully bent into a wave-like form to create the seat and backrest, while the second slots in from the back, forming the essential leg support. The tagline for this design says it all: Better together. The two pieces, though strikingly beautiful and seamlessly interlocked, rely on one another to create a complete chair. However, the challenge of stability looms, raising the question of whether two pieces alone can provide the sturdiness needed for everyday use.Designer:Bored Eye DesignThis question led to further exploration, resulting in three distinct design iterations. Initially, the designers experimented with a two-piece construction, exploring different angles and interlocking methods to push the limits of balance and structural integrity. While these versions displayed a refined aesthetic, they faced challenges in durability and long-term usability.To address this, a second iteration introduced a crucial third element, reinforcing the structure and transforming the chair into a more stable and reliable piece without compromising its minimalist essence. However, the designers returned to the two-piece approach once more, refining its execution to maximize both form and function, ultimately challenging the perception of what two simple pieces of wood could achieve.Beyond its unique construction, the Slot Chair is also a nod to sustainable design. Its stackable form makes transportation highly efficient, allowing more pieces to be shipped and stored compactly, reducing the carbon footprint associated with logistics. The designs simplicity ensures that assembly and disassembly are effortless, requiring minimal tools and effort. This makes it an ideal choice for event spaces, cozy cafes, or modern homes where adaptability, portability, and ease of use are highly valued. While it may not be fully flat-packed due to its curved form, its stackable nature enhances its appeal for those who appreciate efficient storage solutions without compromising on style.Visually, the Slot Chair carries a distinct minimal charm. The natural warmth of the wood and the clean, flowing lines evoke a Scandinavian aesthetic, an elegance that feels right at home in a contemporary setting. One can easily imagine these chairs fitting perfectly in an IKEA caf, blending functionality with an artful simplicity.While stability may have been a question mark in the early stages, the concept was too intriguing not to explore. The Slot Chair is a beautiful example of how design is often about balance, between aesthetics and practicality, between innovation and reliability. And in this case, it proves that sometimes, the best designs emerge from the simplest of sketches.The post The Slot Chair: Where Scandinavian Elegance Meets Engineering Ingenuity first appeared on Yanko Design.

Chinese cloud provider Alibaba has released four versions of its video-generation AI model as open source, allowing users to download and run them for free on capable PCs.The Wan2.1 text-to-video model excels at generating realistic visuals by accurately handling complex movements, enhancing pixel quality, adhering to physical principles, and optimizing the precision of instruction execution,the company said in a blog post.The model is a free alternative toOpenAIs Soravideo-generation model, which created waves when it was commercially released last year. Sora is part of ChatGPT Plus plan and costs $20 per month with per-month limits of up to 50 videos at 480p resolution and fewer 720p videos. Another option,Googles Veo 2is only available to select users.The four Wan2.1 models are designed to generate high-quality images and videos from text and image inputs, Alibaba said.The models have between 1.3 billion and 14 billion parameters to generate videos lasting a few seconds at a resolution up to 720p video. Its not clear whether the company plans to release a model capable of generating 1080p video.Video generation AI could be a useful productivity tool, but it has a long learning curve, said Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates. A lot of models are rudimentary, he said. You arent making three-hour movies out of it. Its still early days.Gold likened video-generation AI models today to word processors in the 1980s, which got better over time. Whats different with AI is that users are feeding information to the model.From the perspective of an enterprise user, the question is what am I giving away for free? A lot of these programs are going to learn from what you use them for, Gold said.Even so, the open-source text-to-video model gives enterprise users something they never had, said Karl Freund, founder and principal analyst at Cambrian AI Research.Its going to be a huge market, Freund said, with a lot of interest from creative, media, and enterprise users.Freund said enterprises spend a lot of money on multimedia, with many text-to-image generation models from Adobe, OpenAI, Google and X.AI already being used in the cloud.Video is the next step.Chinese AI providers are already shaking up the market, with Alibabas Wan2.1 the latest to arrive. TheDeepSeek chatbot tool, for example, demonstrated advances made by Chinese companies in AI, and Wan2.1 demonstrates progress in video models. Also in the mix: Microsoft and Amazon, which now offer DeepSeek R1 through their cloud services.Weve always believed that no single model is right for every use case, and customers can expect all kinds of new options to emerge in the future, Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garmansaid in a LinkedIn post last month.As they did with DeepSeek, cloud providers may take Wan2.1 and offer it through their own services to generate revenue, Freund said.The analysts were mixed about security concerns that could arise from the video-generation model. Gold pointed out the Wan2.1 model could be used maliciously to generate deepfakes.Theres bad and good with everything, he said.The Chinese origins of the model also concerned Gold, but it is open for inspection and open-source advocates will comb through it as they did with DeepSeek.The models are available for download on Alibaba Clouds AI model community,Model Scopeand via Hugging Face, which also hosts public AI models such as Metas Llama, Microsofts Phi and Googles Gemma.

President Trump has weighed in on Apple's "culture of belonging" with a single post to Truth Social and it's about what you'd expect.Tim Cook and Donald Trump in a meeting at the White House in 2018On Tuesday, Apple held its annual shareholder meeting for 2025. As expected, the company covered many topics, including a DEI-related proposal from conservative-think tank National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR).CEO Tim Cook told shareholders the company would rather maintain its current diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program and its associated policies and hiring practices. The shareholders overwhelmingly voted to maintain current practices. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Following last weeks fascinating preview of the Exhibit Columbus Cycle 5 participants' presentations via Archinect Forum from power commenter Donna Sink, heres a look at the 11 design concepts on view in the upcoming exhibition as organized by its five curatorial partners along with the title 'Yes And.'The 2025 cycle includes the installation work of four J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Recipients, six University Design Research Fellows, two Design Education Teams, and Communication Designers. All 13 will be built over the summer within the context of their specific sites. The exhibition takes place on August 15-16th."The shared collaborations and conversations between the attendees and participants reflect our hope that this cycle is building a collective, positive narrative about Columbus legacy. We are excited to continue supporting the participants as they incorporate the feedback from Design Presentations and develop their installations with their community partners," t...

This month, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has moved forward with plans for a new five-member task force aimed at addressing the crisis of biodiversity. The panel will work together to produce a "profession-wide"Climate and Biodiversity Action Plan for release at the ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture in New Orleans in October.With it will come an update to the existing ASLA Climate Action Plan for 2040. The task force is being chaired by North Carolina State University professor Meg Calkins and includes Diane Jones Allen (Equity Lead), Jennifer A. Dowdell (Biodiversity Lead), Mariana Ricker (Climate Lead), and Andrew Wickham (Advocacy Lead).ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen said it will "act as a roadmap for strengthening communities economic well-being while also conserving and restoring ecosystems, reducing emissions, and enhancing resilience over the long-term."

From far too few updates to a name change, the hype train has begun for Nightdive Studios System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster (formerly System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition). Its available to wishlist now on Steam, the Nintendo Store, the Xbox Store, and the PlayStation Store. The price is unknown, but there are several new screenshots to glean.Its Steam listing also confirmed several new technical details, like additional mod support, 50 Achievements, optimized support for controllers and quality-of-life improvements. The characters, weapon models, and animations have been enhanced, and frame rates up to 144 FPS are supported alongside Ultrawide-screen displays.The Xbox Store listing also confirms 4K Ultra HD and 120 FPS support alongside Smart Delivery. A release date is still pending, but Nightdive will share more on March 20th at the Future Games Show Spring Showcase. Stay tuned until then.System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is coming to Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Leenzees Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is shaping up pretty well, as evidenced in a recent Developer Diary. However, a new trailer was released during IGNs Fan Fest 2025 and offered various gameplay snippets showcasing spells, weapons, and more.Alongside previously revealed armaments like the one-handed sword and two-handed axe, the trailer showcases a spear that doubles up as a mini-gatling gun and a flamethrower. While the player could wield skills, they can also opt for a dedicated magic build, which includes summoning purple fire from below enemies, a lotus that disperses projectiles, and more.Another notable spell/skill involves dodging to the side while firing off feather-like tracking projectiles. Protagonist Wuchang can also wear various outfits, potentially augmenting different playstyles.Published by 505 Games, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is out this year for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC alongside Game Pass. Check out some more gameplay here. You can also learn about the transition from Unreal Engine 4 to 5 and how it benefitted the project.

February 27: Feast day of Saint Gregory of Narek (Catholicism)Memorial to the victims of the Sumgait pogrom1776 American Revolutionary War: A Patriot victory at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge resulted in the arrests of 850 Loyalists over the following days.1814 Peninsular War: In the south of France, Spanish, British and Portuguese soldiers under the command of the Marquess of Wellington defeated French soldiers in the Battle of Orthez, causing the French to retreat east.1988 The Armenian community of Sumgait in Azerbaijan was the target of a violent pogrom (memorial pictured).1996 The multimedia franchise Pokmon was launched with the release of the video games Pocket Monsters Red and Green.Robert of Melun (d.1167)Alice Hamilton (b.1869)Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar (d.1956)Leah Poulton (b.1984)More anniversaries: February 26February 27February 28ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

In rearchitecting the upgraded Alexa voice assistant, Amazon turned to model mixing to bring agentic capabilities to devices.Read More