Ive said it before: Nintendos WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! for Game Boy Advance is one of the all-time greats. The 2003 minigame compilation is an absurdist deconstruction of gaming itself, and an irreverent, scattershot creation that stands as perhaps the most punk-rock thing Nintendo has ever done. But while the masterpiece prefigured everything from the 2000s casual gaming boom to the coming mobile gaming revolution, its seldom been imitated, except by its own (still going) series of sequels. Until now.Mindwave, a (very successfully) Kickstarter-funded game by HoloHammer, is an explicit tribute to the first WarioWare, from its overall anarchic presentation down to the coarsely digitized sound of the yeah! sample that greets a successfully completed microgame. Its also doing its own thing.You can play a demo right now as part of Steam Next Fest, running from Feb. 24 to March 3.Like WarioWare, the core of the gameplay in Mindwave is a sequence of repeating microgames, each introduced by a single verb command: Sort! Grab! Stitch! Spam! You have just a few seconds to figure out how to fulfil the command before its on to the next one. As you progress, the microgames repeat with twists and variations, and the action speeds up to a frenetic pace.Mindwave is a little more complex, in that it has a number of different control techniques mouse, arrow keys, typing games that are flagged at the start of each game. This adds extra tension as you swap from one to the other, but also puts the game at a (very) slightly further remove compared to WarioWares almost telepathic link with the player. In another PC-centric twist thats both funny and exasperating, spam pop-up windows start appearing over the gameplay as it gets harder, and need to be dismissed between games with furious mouse clicks.Mindwave has an aesthetic kinship with WarioWare, too: an eclectic, early-2000s graffiti-art sensibility, dyed GameCube purple, and backed by funky J-pop and hip-hop beats. (The original music, by Dorkus64, is outstandingly good.) But HoloHammer is going for a more focused and specific look than WarioWares clip-art randomness in the charmingly exaggerated manga stylings of director, artist, and animator Megalo.Lastly and most importantly, unlike WarioWare, Mindwave is trying to tell a story (or one that makes sense, anyway). You play as a disaffected youth called Pandora who has entered a tournament for Mindwave, a cognitive reality game that pits players against each other within their own psyches; each suite of minigames is themed around the feelings, memories, and preoccupations of an opponent. In the demo, the opponent is Starlight, an excitable, pajama-clad girl obsessed with plushies, hugs, flip phones, and kawaii cat memes. As the game progresses you will ascend the Mindscape Tower in this vaguely dystopian, cyberpunk contest.Mindwave is neither as obsessively minimalist nor as random as WarioWare, but thats OK. HoloHammer is doing something else instead, something pretty exciting; its taking WarioWares splintered vision of gaming and building it back up into something whole.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Projectors are a great option for some evening entertainment inside and outdoors (once the weather warms up a bit), but they can be a little bulky. If you're looking for a smaller projector you can take with you to a party or a friend's house, consider the Nebula Capsule 3 GTV projector, currently $379.99 (originally $499.99), the lowest price it has been according to price-tracking tools. Nebula Capsule 3 GTV Projector Resolution: 1080p, Streaming: Google TV, Brightness: 200 lumens, Engine: DLP. $379.99 at Amazon $499.99 Save $120.00 Get Deal Get Deal $379.99 at Amazon $499.99 Save $120.00 The Nebula Capsule 3 came out this past September to an "excellent" review from PCMag. It has an 8-watt speaker, which is decent for a portable projector, but it won't fill a room with sound. Luckily, it does have an eARC port for a home theater setup. What sets this projector apart is its small size of 4.7 inches by 2.7 inches (height by diameter), which is about the size of a tall beer can. The image correction is fast, responsive, and works wellan important feature since you're likely going to be moving the projector often. The auto focus will adjust to the distance and angle of whatever surface you're casting it on.The brightness is 200 lumens, which is not a lot. You'll be limited to darker rooms to get a good image. The resolution is just 1080p with a maximum screen size of 120-inches, which is decent. This is enough for casual watching in a bedroom, but you won't get the same picture quality, colors, or blacks that home projectors offer. With Google TV, you'll be able to use Chromecast to mirror your phone on the screen, download apps, and watch free live TV.The battery life is up to two and a half hours, long enough to watch most movies. At its current price, it's even with the weaker Nebula Capsule Air, making it a great deal.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.While I was poking around online shopping this week, I noticed a great deal: Amazon has the Dyson V8 Plus Cordless Vacuum marked down to $349.99, a 26% discount off its normal price of $469.99. A little over a quarter off doesn't usually move me, as far as sales go, but on something as expensive as a Dyson that's a solid deal. The spring and summer get dusty and allergen-y, so a strong vacuum is always a smart upgrade to make before the sneezy season hits. Dyson V8 Plus Cordless Vacuum (Silver/Nickel) $349.99 at Amazon $469.99 Save $120.00 Get Deal Get Deal $349.99 at Amazon $469.99 Save $120.00 I have loved every Dyson vacuum (and, frankly, all Dyson products) I've ever used and everyone I know with one feels the same, but before I recommended this sale confidently, I wanted to check around other parts of the internet to make sure I wasn't missing something about Amazon's markdown. I was missing something: This thing is on sale everywhere, which is great news if you have a membership or general brand loyalty to one store or another. The $349.99 price point on the Dyson V8 Plus is reflected not only on Amazon, but at the following retailers:Best BuyWalmartWilliams SonomaChewyWayfairCrate & BarrelBloomingdale'sP.C. Richard & SonBasically, wherever you're most likely to shop, you can find the cordless vac on sale. Take it as a sign you should finally upgrade your hoover. Dyson V8 Plus product detailsWhy upgrade to this one, though, beyond the fact that it's on sale? It runs for up to 40 minutes on a single charge but is still light enough that it's not a hassle to carry around, weighing in at 5.6 pounds. It will run for a shorter amount if you turn on MAX mode, but having access to an even more powerful suction when you're facing a major mess is worth it. Besides being a traditional stick vacuum, it also transforms into a handheld device to reach difficult spots. It docks to your wall to charge and stay out of your way, has attachments to reach high spaces, empties out with the push of a button, and makes quick work of dust, hair, and fur. Dyson really does make a quality vacuum and this one, with its low price, is a solid entry point if you've been looking into getting one.

Your keyboard is one of the few pieces of technology youll use for hours at a time, so why not make it something that brings you joy? Sure, the people who gush over mechanical keyboards can be a bit much, but the enhanced comfort, durability and customizability that comes with the best of them is real. If youre interested in making the switch (ahem), weve tested dozens of mechanical keyboards over the past year and rounded up our favorites below. Weve also broken down what to look for as you shop. What to look for in a mechanical keyboard Layout The first thing to decide with any keyboard is what size and layout you want. Full-size layouts have all the keys youd ever need a number pad, a full function row, arrow keys, etc. but they also have the largest physical footprint. A 96-percent or 1800 keyboard is similar, but crunches the navigation cluster (Page Up, Home, etc.), numpad and arrow keys closer together to save space. Tenkeyless (TKL) or 80-percent keyboards omit the number pad entirely; they're often considered the best blend of size and functionality. 75-percent keyboards keep almost all of the buttons of a TKL model but further reduce any dead space between them think of them like the TKL versions of a 96 percent layout. It gets more and more minimal from there. The smallest popular layout is the 60 percent keyboard, which removes the arrow keys, function row, numpad and navigation cluster. This kind of design can be particularly useful for gaming, as it opens up a ton of desk space to swing your mouse around. It typically relies on shortcuts to make up for its missing keys, but it comes with a learning curve as a result. Even more compact options exist beyond that. These can be adorable, but they usually involve removing the number row, which is a step too far for most people. There are all sorts of ergonomic keyboards that utilize different shapes to improve your wrist and arm comfort as well, but we have a separate guide for those. Switch type No component has more of an impact on how a mechanical keyboard feels and sounds than the switches beneath its keycaps. The market for these tiny mechanisms is vast and complex but, to keep it simple, you can separate them into three types: linear, tactile and clicky. Which you prefer ultimately comes down to personal preference, so we encourage you to go to a store, try out a friends keyboard and test switches out to determine what you like best. Linear switches feel smooth and consistent all the way down. Many PC gamers prefer them because theyre often light and fast to actuate, so they can register inputs quickly. They tend to be quieter than other switch types as well, but some may find them too sensitive. Tactile switches create a noticeable bump partway through a press. They generally arent as fast as their linear counterparts, but many (including yours truly) enjoy the tangible sense of feedback they provide with each keystroke. This bit of resistance can make it a little easier to avoid typos, too. Many tactile switches are neither outright quiet nor disruptively loud. Clicky switches are, well, clicky. They work similarly to tactile switches but use an extra mechanism that makes a sharp click sound when pressed. The exact design of that mechanism can differ depending on the switch. Some people love the audible feedback of clicky switches. The people who work or live with them? Probably not so much. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Remember: These are general buckets. Within them lies an enormous variety of switches with differing actuation points, weights, springs, bump sensations and more. One linear, tactile, or clicky switch can feel and sound noticeably different than another. There are more dramatic variations as well. Low-profile switches, for one, can be linear, tactile or clicky but arent as tall and have a shorter travel distance. They allow for flatter and more compact designs, with keys that are fast to press but also easy to bottom out. Optical and Hall effect switches rely on different mechanisms entirely. Instead of a physical contact point, the former uses a beam of infrared light to register keystrokes, while the latter uses tiny magnets. Both commonly have a linear feel. They can also enable a few gaming-friendly features: You could set custom actuation points and make any key more or less sensitive, map multiple actions to one keystroke or even use an analog mode that emulates gamepad controls. (Newer inductive switches are said to offer similar benefits.) These are niche tricks, but they can make a difference for competitive-minded players. Boards that use these analog switches are frequently more expensive and less customizable than traditional mechanical options, though. Switch modifications It doesnt stop at switch types: Manufacturers (and you!) can make several other tweaks to shape how a mechanical keyboard feels and sounds. Some have layers of different foam inside their case to tamp down noise, for instance. Some have switches that are lubricated out of the box to provide a smoother feel and more muted sound. A few others put plastic, rubber or foam films between the upper and bottom housing of a switch to keep it from wobbling and further tune its acoustics. Or they stick a layer of tape on their printed circuit board (PCB) to absorb higher-pitched sounds. We think most people will find that some well-applied foam and lubing makes things feel nicer, though this is another matter that comes down to taste. Keycaps Keycaps play a huge role in defining a keyboards character. First off, they should look nice! Theres a huge market for third-party keycaps in all different styles, from the playful to the professional to the proudly impractical. The majority of mechanical keyboards make it easy to swap in new keycaps, so its usually not a huge deal if you ever get bored with your device's stock set. Most keycaps are made from one of two types of plastic: ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) or PBT (polybutylene terephthalate). Keycaps using the latter tend to be higher-quality. They're often thicker, more durable, deeper-sounding and less prone to developing a shiny or greasy finish over time. Still, premium ABS keycaps do exist, so this is another case where whats best partly comes down to personal taste. You may prefer an ABS keycap that feels smooth over a PBT model with a rougher texture. Keycap sets are available in several different shapes and sizes. Some are totally uniform; many others are distinctly sculpted to meet your fingers in (ostensibly) more natural positions. Which is most comfortable is something youll have to figure out for yourself. You can check out keycaps.info to see what the most popular keycap profiles look like. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Keyboard makers have several different methods of printing the letters and symbols (aka legends) that go on a set of keycaps. The two most common are known as double-shot and dye-sublimation. Double-shot caps are typically more durable but cost more to produce theyre made by molding one color of plastic for the keycap around a second color of plastic for the legend. Dye-sub caps, in contrast, use heat to stain in the legends but are decently durable in their own right. For keyboards with RGB backlighting, it's best if the legends to be shine-through, so those color effects are visible through the keycaps. We dont think its the end of the world if they arent as youll see below but the RGB wont be as fun otherwise. Stabilizers Stabilizers (or stabs) are little components that go under large keys like the space bar or backspace to keep them from rattling or wobbling when pressed. These come in different types as well. Many a decent keyboard has been hindered by subpar stabilizers, so its worth checking your bigger keys first to ensure they arent distractingly shaky or uneven. Mounting styles and case quality A keyboards mounting style determines how its PCB and plate i.e., a common (but not universal) layer that holds the keycaps in place above the PCB are secured within its case. This, too, comes in varying styles and can have a significant effect on how the board feels and sounds. Its also something thats best explained visually, so well point you to this excellent infographic from Thomas Baart instead of running through every possible configuration here. Its hard to say one mounting style is always better than the others, but many enthusiast boards these days use some sort of gasket mount, which puts a gasket material on either side to separate the plate from the main case. Done well, this can make typing feel softer and bouncier than it would on a more traditional, tray-mounted design. Regardless of whats going on under the hood, a good keyboard shouldnt feel cheap on the outside, either. Its case shouldnt flex under pressure or feel hollow as youre clacking away. Higher-end models often have cases made from metal or sturdier plastic the former may feel more premium but its typically heavier and pricier. Customizations and software We focused on pre-built models here, but that doesnt mean customization isnt important. Experimenting with different switches and keycaps is half the fun of this hobby, after all. For this guide, we prioritized keyboards that are hot-swappable, which means they let you easily remove and replace switches without having to desolder anything. Permanently attached switches may be more stable, but fixing a broken hot-swappable switch should be relatively painless and more affordable to boot. We also valued keyboards that are easy to program and customize through software, whether its a manufacturer-specific app or popular open-source programs like VIA. Not everyone will go through the trouble to set macros, customize backlighting or remap keys, but its better to have the option if your mindset changes down the road. Its a plus if a keyboard works across multiple operating systems, particularly Windows and macOS, just in case you ever switch allegiances. If the device comes with OS-specific keycaps you can pop on to make the experience less clunky, thats even better. Connectivity Wireless connectivity isnt essential with a device that mostly sits on your desk, but its always nice to cut down on cables. Though wireless keyboards still cost more than wired ones, today you can get something great for less than $100. If you do go wireless, look for a model that can connect over Bluetooth and a USB wireless dongle. The former is convenient for travel, while the latter can provide a more stable connection. For wired keyboards, you want a detachable USB cable so you dont have to replace your entire device if the cord ever frays or breaks. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Backlight Good backlighting will make any keyboard easier to use in the dark. We gave bonus points to keyboards with fully programmable RGB lights, as they can be particularly fun to mess with, but they're not essential. As noted above, the strength of your backlight will be neutered if your keycaps legends arent transparent. Rotary knob Some mechanical keyboards come configured with a rotary knob, which typically controls volume by default but can be customized to control other inputs as well. This is more of a fun bonus than anything else, but we found it hard to give up on devices without one. How we tested To be clear, there isnt one best mechanical keyboard for everyone. Yes, some are likely to be better for most people than others; thats what we set out to find with this guide. But ultimately, this is one of those categories thatll largely depend on your personal tastes. Its also worth reiterating that we only considered pre-built models for this guide. We still valued keyboards that are configurable with different switches, keycaps and other design tweaks upfront and easy to customize after purchase. However, we recognize that many people just want to pay for a nice thing and enjoy it, without having to do homework on how they can make it better. If you want to get hardcore later on and start building your own custom keyboards, we have a whole separate guide for that. With that said, we started our research by reading a ton of reviews from both professionals and everyday users, trawling enthusiast forums along the way. This helped us whittle down the devices that had a shot of being a top pick and were readily available from reputable brands. From there, we used each keyboard as our daily driver for a few days, typing up thousands of words, playing PC games and paying attention to the key aspects noted above. We fully charged each wireless model and monitored its battery drain to ensure it lined up with their advertised rating. We also ensured any companion software worked as intended. Its worth keeping in mind that new mechanical keyboards are coming out all the time. It's very difficult to get to everything, but we'll continue to monitor the market and update this guide as noteworthy boards arrive. Other mechanical keyboards we tested Just a few of the other mechanical keyboards we tested for this guide. Clockwise from top left: the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023), the G.Skill KM250 RGB, the Lofree Block, the NZXT Function 2 and the Lofree Flow. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Lofree Block The wireless Lofree Block feels great and has a fun retro aesthetic that looks like it belongs next to an old Mac. Its keys are wonderfully smooth to the touch and create a nice thocky tone. At $169, its a good middle ground between the Keychron Q Max and V Max series if you dig the look. However, it doesnt have any software for programming macros, it only has a white backlight and it only comes in a full-size layout. Are those huge issues? No. But there are fine margins separating these things once you get to a certain point. Lofree Flow Its a similar story with the Lofree Flow, a low-profile model. Its full-POM switches are softer and noticeably quieter than the NuPhy Air V2, and its thin aluminum case looks and feels high-quality. It can only work wirelessly using Bluetooth, though, and we noticed a couple of connection hiccups in testing. Theres still no software, either, plus its backlight is fairly weak. It also costs $40 or so more than the Air75 V2. Still, its a great alternative. Keychron K Max The low-profile Keychron K Max series has all the requisite features and costs less than the NuPhy Air75 V2 and Lofree Flow. If you dont like the Air V2s style and want a cheaper low-profile model, its worth a look. That said, the keycaps on NuPhys board feel a bit higher-quality, and the tactile Gateron switches in our K Max unit sound thinner. NZXT Function 2 & Function 2 MiniTKL The full-size NZXT Function 2 and tenkeyless NZXT Function 2 MiniTKL are perfectly solid gaming keyboards with fast optical switches, durable PBT keycaps, tasteful RGB lighting, sound-dampening foam and aluminum top plates. They support a fair amount of customization through NZXTs CAM app, including the ability to swap between two different universal actuation settings. The stabilizers on larger keys exhibit some rattle, though, and the Wooting 80HE's magnetic switches are far more versatile for not too much extra cash. The Razer Huntsman V2 TKL. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget MelGeek Modern97 With its fun speckled color scheme, gasket-mounted design and multiple foam layers, the MelGeek Modern97 is a solid value at $139. The linear, pre-lubed Kailh Box Plastic switches in our unit are smooth and enjoyably clacky, while the larger keys are neither hollow nor overly loud. All of the switches are hot-swappable, and the whole thing works over USB-C, Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz dongle. Alas, its ABS keycaps start to feel slicker and greasier with extended use. This model also has a 90 percent layout, which saves a little extra desk space compared to a 96 percent board but can lead to more accidental presses around the arrow keys. Razer Huntsman V2 TKL The Razer Huntsman V2 TKL is a quality gaming keyboard with light optical switches, crisp shine-through keycaps, a sturdy frame and an impressively muffled sound thanks to some internal foam. (If you buy the model with Razers linear optical switches, that is; another variant with clicky switches isnt nearly as quiet.) Its often available in the $100 range, and at that price its a solid pick. Its neither wireless nor hot-swappable, though, and its keys wobble more than those on the Keychron V Max. Razer Huntsman V3 Pro The analog Razer Huntsman V3 Pro is a decent alternative to the Wooting 80HE if the latters shipping delays become too great. Its available in a 60 percent, TKL or full-size layout, and it offers a similar set of gaming features, including an adjustable actuation range and a rapid trigger setting for repeating keystrokes faster. But its optical switches are noisier and more hollow-feeling than Wootings Hall effect setup, so its not as pleasant for typing. The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (Gen 3). Jeff Dunn for Engadget SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (Gen 3) We recommend the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless in our guide to the best gaming keyboards, and it remains a good choice if you want the extensive customizability of the Wooting 80HE in a wireless design. It also comes with a wrist rest, unlike Wootings keyboard, and it offers an impressive typing experience in its own right. SteelSeries configuration software is clunkier to navigate than Wootility, though, and at $270 its pricier than Keychron Q Max without having quite as premium a design. G.Skill KM250 The $45 G.Skill KM250 is the top budget pick in our gaming keyboard guide, and its still a better buy than the Keychron C3 Pro is gaming is your chief concern. Compared to Keychrons board, it adds hot-swappable switches, full RGB backlighting, PBT keycaps and a rotary knob in a smaller 65 percent layout. That said, the C3 Pros fuller sound and springier keystrokes make it superior for typing, and its tenkeyless design should be more comfortable for a wider swath of people. Its typically available for $10 to $15 less, too. The Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Logitech G Pro X TKL & G Pro X 60 The Logitech G Pro X TKL and 60 percent Logitech G Pro X 60 are well-built but far too expensive for gaming keyboards that lack hot-swappable switches and the analog functionality of competitors like the Wooting 80HE. Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid The Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid is better, and a fine magnetic-switch alternative to the Wooting 80HE if you must buy from one of the major keyboard brands. Its wired-only, but it looks good, with clear RGB lighting, a built-in volume roller, dedicated media keys and a sturdy metal top plate. Its rapid trigger and adjustable actuation features all work fine, and Logitechs G Hub software is easier to get around than most apps from the big-name manufacturers. All of it costs $30 less than the 80HE as well. Where it falls short is the typing experience: The default switches are pretty noisy, and bottoming out the keys feels stiffer. The ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless The ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless is a wireless 96 percent keyboard thats marketed toward gamers but should feel great to anyone. The pre-lubed, linear ROG NX Snow switches in our test unit are smooth and quiet, while the PBT keycaps feel stable and high-quality. The keycaps let the RGB backlight shine through cleanly, plus theres a clever multi-function key that puts various lighting and media controls in one place. ASUS Armoury Crate software is sloppy, though, and the boards overall look may be too gamer-y for some. At $180, its not cheap either. The Keychron Q5 Max costs $40 more but gets you a more premium (if heavier) all-aluminum chassis; here, the housing is plastic. ASUS ROG Azoth The ASUS ROG Azoth is like a 75 percent version of the Strix Scope II 96 Wireless with a few more enthusiast touches. Its gasket-mounted design gives keystrokes a slightly softer landing, it has a programmable OLED display and it even includes a switch lubing kit in the box. Like the Strix, its hardware is very clearly high-grade. But its software is much more aggravating and, with a list price of $250, it's a worse value than the Keychron Q Max. Corsair K70 RGB TKL The Corsair K70 RGB TKL isnt bad in a vacuum, but it lacks wireless functionality and fully hot-swappable switches. Its on the noisy side, too, and Corsairs iCue software is rough. The Logitech G Pro X 60. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Corsair K70 Max The full-size Corsair K70 Max is another high-end gaming keyboard with magnetic Hall effect sensors and Wooting-style features, but trying to program those settings through Corsairs iCue app gave us headaches. The 80HE also feels better for typing, with less rattling on large keys like the space bar. Wootings HE keyboards support a slightly wider actuation range on top of that, plus they cost $30 to $55 less depending on size. Razer Huntsman Mini The Razer Huntsman Mini is a fine value if you want a no-frills 60 percent keyboard for less than $100, but its another wired-only model that isnt truly hot-swappable. Logitech G915 TKL The Logitech G915 TKL is a wireless low-profile model with a metal frame and handy media controls. The GL Tactile switches in our test unit are comfortable and not particularly noisy. But the thin ABS keycaps feel way too cheap for something that costs $180, the keys themselves are a little too wobbly and the switches aren't hot-swappable. The NuPhy Air75 V2 is a superior value. Logitech released an upgraded model with PBT keycaps and a USB-C port last year; we'll aim to test that one for our next update, but its still pretty expensive at $200. Recent notes February 2025: Weve updated this guide with a new gaming pick, the Wooting 80HE, and ensured the rest of our recommendations are still accurate. We've also added a few notes on other keyboards we've recently tested. Weve put several other gaming-oriented models through their paces since our last update: You can find testing notes for those in our dedicated gaming keyboard buying guide.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-mechanical-keyboard-120050723.html?src=rss

In what has already been a busy past few days for new model releases, OpenAI is capping off the week with a research preview of GPT-4.5. The company is touting the new system as its largest and best model for chat yet. In early testing, OpenAI says people found GPT-4.5 to be a more natural conversationalist, with the ability to convey warmth and display a kind of emotional intelligence.In one example shared by OpenAI, a person tells ChatGPT they're going through a hard time after failing a test. Where the company's previous models, including GPT-4o and o3-mini, might commiserate with the individual before offering a long list of unsolicited advice, GPT-4.5 takes a different tact. "Want to talk about what happened, or do you just need a distraction? I'm here either way," the chatbot says when powered by GPT-4.5.The gains shown by GPT-4.5 are the result of advancements OpenAI made in unsupervised learning. With unsupervised learning, a machine learning algorithm is given an unlabeled data set and left to its own devices to find patterns and insights. GPT-4.5 doesn't "think" like the company's state-of-the-art reasoning models, but in training the new model OpenAI made architectural enhancements and gave it access to more data and compute power. "The result is a model that has broader knowledge and a deeper understanding of the world, leading to reduced hallucinations," the company says.Speaking of reduced hallucinations, OpenAI measured how much better GPT-4.5 in that regard. When put through SimpleQA, an OpenAI-designed benchmark that tests large language models on their ability to answer "straightforward but challenging knowledge questions," GPT-4.5 beat out o3-mini, GPT-4o and even o1 with a hallucination rate of 37.1 percent. Obviously, the new model doesn't solve the problem of AI hallucinations altogether, but it is a step in the right direction.Despite its relative strengths over GPT-4o and o3-mini, GPT-4.5 isn't a direct replacement for those models. Compared to OpenAI's reasoning systems, GPT-4.5 is "a more general-purpose, innately smarter model." Additionally, it's not natively multimodal like GPT-4o, meaning it doesn't work with features like Voice Mode, video or screensharing. Its also "a very large and compute-intensive model."It's best to think of GPT-4.5 as a stepping stone to systems OpenAI plans to offer in the future. In fact, Sam Altman said as much earlier this month when he shared the company's roadmap, noting GPT-4.5 would be "our last non-chain-of-thought model" referring to the fact that the new system doesn't solve problems by tackling them step by step like OpenAI's reasoning models do. Its successor, GPT-5, will likely integrate many of OpenAI's latest technologies, including its frontier o3 model. OpenAI reiterated that today, saying it plans to bring GPT-4.5's "unique strengths, including broader knowledge, stronger intuition, and greater 'EQ,' to all users in future models."In the meantime, ChatGPT Pro subscribers can begin using GPT-4.5 starting today, with Pro and Team users slated to gain access starting next week.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-new-gpt-45-model-is-a-better-more-natural-conversationalist-200035185.html?src=rss

Aggressive discounting helps Temu compete, yet ongoing trust concerns may limit its ability to overtake Amazon.

Solidigms 122.88TB DP-P5336 SSD got tested as part of an experiment with DeepSeek and Nvidias Jetson Orin Nano Super motherboard.

On Valentines Day 2025, heavy rains started to fall in parts of rural Appalachia. Over the course of a few days, residents in eastern Kentucky watched as river levels rose and surpassed flood levels. Emergency teams conducted over 1,000 water rescues. Hundreds, if not thousands of people were displaced from homes, and entire business districts filled with mud.For some, it was the third time in just four years that their homes had flooded, and the process of disposing of destroyed furniture, cleaning out the muck and starting anew is beginning again.Historic floods wiped out businesses and homes in eastern Kentucky in February 2021, July 2022 and now February 2025. An even greater scale of destruction hit eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina in September 2024, when Hurricane Helenes rainfall and flooding decimated towns and washed out parts of major highways. Each of these events was considered to be a thousand-year flood, with a 1-in-1,000 chance of happening in a given year. Yet theyre happening more often.The floods have highlighted the resilience of local people to work together for collective survival in rural Appalachia. But they have also exposed the deep vulnerability of communities, many of which are located along creeks at the base of hills and mountains with poor emergency warning systems. As short-term cleanup leads to long-term recovery efforts, residents can face daunting barriers that leave many facing the same flood risks over and over again.Exposing a housing crisisFor the past nine years, I have been conducting research on rural health and poverty in Appalachia. Its a complex region often painted in broad brushstrokes that miss the geographic, socioeconomic and ideological diversity it holds.Appalachia is home to a vibrant culture, a fierce sense of pride and a strong sense of love. But it is also marked by the omnipresent backdrop of a declining coal industry.There is considerable local inequality that is often overlooked in a region portrayed as one-dimensional. Poverty levels are indeed high. In Perry County, Kentucky, where one of eastern Kentuckys larger cities, Hazard, is located, nearly 30% of the population lives under the federal poverty line. But the average income of the top 1% of workers in Perry County is nearly US$470,000 17 times more than the average income of the remaining 99%.This income and wealth inequality translates to unequal land ownership much of eastern Kentuckys most desirable land remains in the hands of corporations and families with great generational wealth.When I first moved to eastern Kentucky in 2016, I was struck by the grave lack of affordable, quality housing. I met families paying $200-$300 a month for a small plot to put a mobile home. Others lived in found housing often-distressed properties owned by family members. They had no lease, no equity and no insurance. They had a place to lay ones head but lacked long-term stability in the event of disagreement or disaster. This reality was rarely acknowledged by local and state governments.Eastern Kentuckys 2021 and 2022 floods turned this into a full-blown housing crisis, with 9,000 homes damaged or destroyed in the 2022 flood alone.There was no empty housing or empty places for housing, one resident involved in local flood recovery efforts told me. It just was complete disaster because people just didnt have a place to go.Most homeowners did not have flood insurance to assist with rebuilding costs. While many applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assistance, the amounts they received often did not go far. The maximum aid for temporary housing assistance and repairs is $42,500, plus up to an additional $42,500 for other needs related to the disaster.The federal government often provides more aid for rebuilding through block grants directed to local and state governments, but that money requires congressional approval and can take months to years to arrive. Local community coalitions and organizations stepped in to fill these gaps, but they did not necessarily have sufficient donations or resources to help such large numbers of displaced people.With a dearth of affordable rentals pre-flood, renters who lost their homes had no place to go. And those living in found housing that was destroyed were not eligible for federal support for rebuilding.The sheer level of devastation also posed challenges. One health care professional told me: In Appalachia, the way it usually works is if you lose your house or something happens, then you go stay with your brother or your mom or your cousin. But everybodys mom and brother and cousin also lost their house. There was nowhere to stay. From her point of view, our homelessness just skyrocketed.The cost of land social and economicAfter the 2022 flood, the Kentucky Department for Local Government earmarked almost $300 million of federal funding to build new, flood-resilient homes in eastern Kentucky. Yet the question of where to build remained. As another resident involved in local flood recovery efforts told me, You can give us all the money you want; we dont have any place to build the house.It has always been costly and time-intensive to develop land in Appalachia. Available higher ground tends to be located on former strip mines, and these reclaimed lands require careful geotechnical surveying and sometimes structural reinforcements.If these areas are remote, the costs of running electric, water and other infrastructure services can also be prohibitive. For this reason, for-profit developers have largely avoided many counties in the region. The head of a nonprofit agency explained to me that, because of this, The markets have broken. We have no [housing] market.There is also some risk involved in attempting to build homes on new land that has not previously been developed. A local government could pay for undeveloped land to be surveyed and prepared for development, with the prospect of reimbursement by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development if housing is successfully built. But if, after the work to prepare the land, it is still too cost-prohibitive to build a profitable house there, the local government would not receive any reimbursement.Some counties have found success clearing land for large developments on former strip mine sites. But these former coal mining areas can be considerable distances from towns. Without robust public transportation systems, these distances are especially prohibitive for residents who lack reliable personal transportation.Another barrier is the high prices that both individual and corporate landowners are asking for properties on higher ground.The scarcity of desirable land available for sale, combined with increasingly urgent demand, has led to prices unaffordable for most. Another resident involved in local flood recovery efforts explained: If you paid $5,000 for 30 acres 40 years ago, why wont you sell that for $100,000? Nope, [they want] $1 million. That makes it increasingly difficult for both individuals and housing developers to purchase land and build.One reason for this scarcity is the amount of land that is still owned by outside corporate interests. For example, Kentucky River Properties, formerly Kentucky River Coal Corporation, owns over 270,000 acres across seven counties in the region. While this landholding company leases land to coal, timber and gas companies, it and others like it rarely permit residential development.But not all unused land is owned by corporations. Some of this land is owned by families with deep roots in the region. Peoples attachment to a place often makes them want to stay in their communities, even after disasters. But it can also limit the amount of land available for rebuilding. People are often hesitant to sell land that holds deep significance for their families, even if they are not living there themselves.One health care professional expressed feeling torn between selling or keeping their own family property after the 2022 flood: We have a significant amount of property on top of a mountain. I wouldnt want to sell it because my papa came from nothing. His generation thought owning land was the greatest thing. And for him to provide his children and his grandchildren and their great-grandchildren a plot of land that he worked and sweat and ultimately died to give us people want to hold onto that.She recognized that land was in great demand but couldnt bring herself to sell what she owned. In cases like hers, higher grounds are owned locally but still remain unused.Moving toward higher ground, slowlyTwo years after the 2022 flood, major government funding for rebuilding still has not resulted in a significant number of homes. The state has planned seven communities on higher ground in eastern Kentucky that aim to house 665 new homes. As of early 2025, 14 houses had been completed.Progress on providing housing on higher ground is slow, and the need is great.In the meantime, when I conducted interviews during the summer and fall of 2024, many of the mobile home communities that were decimated in the 2022 flood had begun to fill back up. These were flood-risk areas, but there was simply no other place to go.Last week, I watched on Facebook a friends live video footage showing the waters creeping up the sides of the mobile homes in one of those very communities that had flooded in 2022. Another of my friends mused: I dont know who constructed all this, but they did an unjustly favor by not thinking how close these towns was to the river. Cant anyone in Frankfort help us, or has it gone too far?With hundreds more people now displaced by the most recent flood, the need for homes on higher grounds has only expanded, and the wait continues.Kristina P. Brant is an assistant professor of rural sociology at Penn State.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Some good news for all the tired parents out there: Having and raising kids may unexpectedly boost your brain and protect your mind from aging over the long run, according to a new study published in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Theresearch from Rutgers Health and Yale University found parents developed higher brain-wide functional connectivity as they aged, especially in networks associated with movement and sensation, if they had more children. Those same networks typically show lower functional connectivity associated with greater age, meaning parenthood may protect against functional brain aging.The study findings apply to both moms and dads, which suggests the benefits come from parenthood caregiving, rather than pregnancy alone.This study looked at data from 37,000 adults including 19,964 females and 17,607 males from the UK Biobank, using the largest population-based neuroimaging data set to date to investigate the link between the number of children a parent had and age of brain function. It sheds new light on how adult human brains develop over the course of a lifespan, and is encouraging news for women who temporarily suffer from Mommy brain, or greater forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating during and after pregnancy.Overall, these results suggest that parenthood may be neuroprotective in later life, and are consistent with preliminary findings of previous studies that show younger-looking brain structures in animal parents.Check out the full study here.

The Autodesk Fusion team is excited to announce the second annual Autodesk Fusion Prize as part of the 2025 Core77 Design Awards. This award recognizes the most outstanding project that utilized Autodesk Fusion product development software from all entries in this year's awards program student and professional, across all 20 categories. This recognition not only highlights the winner's exceptional work but also underscores their ability to leverage advanced, modern design tools to create impactful solutions.What is Autodesk Fusion? If you're not familiar with Autodesk Fusion, let's start there. Autodesk Fusion is a cloud-based 3D CAD, CAM, CAE and PCB design tool for product design and manufacturing. It combines industrial and mechanical design, simulation, collaboration/data management, and machining in a single product. Fusion is widely used by designers, engineers, and manufacturers to streamline their product development process from concept to production. The Vivid Nine lighting collection for R&S Robertson.Industrial design firm Vivid Nine, for example, used Autodesk Fusion when designing a lighting collection for their client R&S Robertson. Thanks to Fusion being a cloud-based tool, the Vivid Nine team could design from anywhere and easily collaborate with teammates. To support its strong commitment to sustainability, the Vivid Nine team also leveraged Fusion's Manufacturing Sustainability Insights (MSI) Add-on to calculate the carbon footprint of their designs, optimize products for reduced carbon emissions, and enhance sustainability reports that they generate for their clients.Leveraging the Fusion MSI Vivivd Nine calculated the carbon footprint of their design.What's in it for me?Alright, back to the prize. The winner of the Autodesk Fusion Prize will receive a special prize from Autodesk (including a feature on the Fusion Blog) and a coveted Core77 Design Award trophy (seriously, if you haven't seen how cool the infamous trophies are yet, go take a look then circle back).Zexi Ye won the Core77 Design Awards 2024 Fusion prize.Read all about Adpt by Zexi Ye, the Core77 Design Awards 2024 Fusion winner here.Adpt, designed by Zexi Ye, took home last year's Autodesk Fusion prize for its exceptional concept. The product is a computer-accessible tool that enables people with cerebral palsy to freely and independently access the digital world thanks to its easy-to-use touchpad, tactile navigation, remote assistance and more. We also enjoyed hearing how Fusion enabled Zexi to transition seamlessly from physical to digital prototyping and vice versa. This helped ensure that the final design met the ergonomic needs of users with cerebral palsy and could accommodate various hand postures and motor skill abilities.The Mesh environment in Fusion was particularly helpful for Zexi during the 3D modeling stage. "The 'do not capture design history' and 'file history' features allow me to create without fear," he explains. "When it's time for a quick visualization, I switch to the rendering panel to see what the product looks like with real materials." Learn more about Adpt here.How to enter the Core77 Design Awards 2025The first step on the path to winning the Autodesk Fusion Prize is to enter the Core77 Design Awards. We encourage all designers and engineers who have utilized Fusion software in their submissions both student and professional - to enter this year's awards. Towards the end of your application, you'll have the option to simply check a box for whether or not you used Fusion. If you did use Fusion for your project go ahead and check that box, baby!This is an incredible opportunity to gain recognition for your work and to be celebrated by Core77, Autodesk, and the wider design community. Don't miss your chance to vie for the Autodesk Fusion Prize and showcase your innovative projects to the world. We look forward to seeing the amazing projects that you have created with Fusion software. Submit your entries to the Core77 Design Awards 2025 today! Good luck to all the participants! Learn more about the Autodesk Fusion prize here and submit your work to the Core77 Design Awards for consideration here.