Severance season 2's latest episode provides answers to some mysteries, but it also left me with even more questions.

Microsoft's EU cloud customers will now get more control over their data.

TikTok just updated its desktop viewing experience to offer a smoother UX, expanded features, and more ways to watch. I wish it would go back to how it was before.Its no secret that TikTok has a mobile-first design. Its beloved hyper-specific algorithm and For You page, as well as its wholehearted embrace of short-form video, has inspired copycats the likes of which include everyone from Instagram to LinkedIn and Substack. TikTok has even changed the fabric of culture itself, shortening attention spans and shaping the music industry as we know it. While TikTok shines on mobile, its desktop experience has historically been significantly less intuitive.The new desktop browser is, by all counts, a marked improvement. But, for those of us who turn to the clunky desktop TikTok to cut down on screen time, its not necessarily a good thing.[Photo: TikTok]Ugh, TikToks new desktop browser is betterThe biggest change to TikToks desktop browser is the noticeably smoother UX. Previously, scrolling through videos on the homepage could feel delayed and glitchy, which quickly becomes frustrating given that its the platforms main function. Now, each clip transitions smoothly into the nextan element of TikToks new optimized modular layout that offers a more immersive viewing experience and seamless feed exploration, according to a press release. The look of the platform has also been cleaned up and simplified, including via a minimized navigation bar, to reduce distractions during doomscrolling.Beyond the improved UX, updated desktop TikTok also comes with a few new features. Its poached the Explore tab straight from the app, giving users another, less tailored feed to explore. Theres now also full-screen live streaming modes for gamers, a web-exclusive floating player on Google Chrome so users can watch brainrot Subway Surfers TikToks while they shop online, and a collections tool that can organize saved videos into subcategories.And, yeah, on the surface, all of these changes are reasonable responses to TikToks lackluster web browser experience. They make it more frictionless, intuitive, and enjoyable. But did the developers ever consider that maybe some of us liked it when it was bad?Can we just not?When TikTok entered the mainstream around the early pandemic, I downloaded it on my phone for a total of about two days. The reason it didnt make the cut in my app library was not because it was bad, but because it was actually too funso much so that reading my AP Lit homework started to feel like an insurmountable task when those little videos were, like, right there.For me, the ideal screen time solution has been to delete social media apps from my phone and only check them when Im on my computer, where their desktop counterparts tend to be more outdated and, sometimes, downright annoying. My one exception to this rule is YouTube Shorts, but only because its algorithm is leagues behind TikToks and therefore tends to drive me away by recommending one too many English hobby horsing videos. Am I still addicted to these apps? Most definitely. But do I feel like I have to check them every 30 seconds? Thankfully, no.TikToks desktop experience used to similarly serve as a refuge from the mobile app itself. It was a safe place to get a quick taste of whats happening online without getting sucked into a three-hour rabbit hole about giving butter to babies. Its irritating quirks were precisely the pointand, I would argue, plenty of other desktop users likely turned to this version for the same reason.Now, though, as the desktop experience creeps ever-closer to the actual mobile app, were all going to have to figure out where to relegate TikTok so that we can hack our brains out of craving it.

A recent Society for Human Resources Management study found that 47% of employees with invisible chronic conditionsillnesses or disabilities that limit activities and functions but lack visible symptomshave not disclosed their conditions to their employers. When I first read this statistic, I wasnt surprised. In a world where the majority of people with invisible disabilities fear discrimination and stigma should they disclose, where is the incentive to do so?I am part of the 53% who has disclosed her invisible illness to her employer, and fortunately received support, empathy, and understanding as a result. Without a doubt, privilege is at play here. Im a white, college-educated woman with five years in my career under my belt. This affords me access to opportunities and healthcare as well as social and cultural latitudes that, unfortunately, many do not share.I wish my experience could be the norm. As I reflect on the experiences that led me to this point, Im considering how organizations and their leaders can rethink these disclosures to better support employees.Who can afford the risk of disclosingFor the majority of my career, Ive grappled with an acceleration in symptoms from my chronic illness, later found to be a likely result of the Lyme disease I contracted while in utero (something that impacts only a very small population of fetuses globally). My body could not sustain the consistent schedule and output needed to succeed in a traditional workplace, so I turned to self-employment, which allowed me to earn a living while managing decades of health challenges.With my health stabilized, I began seeking traditional employment in 2023. Inevitably, the question of why I was interested in working for someone else after so long working for myself would come up. I decided to be honest and candid, letting employers form their own opinions.While my health challenges were far less acute than they once had been, I knew that my chronic illness would always be a part of my professional storyso sharing that early on in the process would help me gauge reactions and understand whether an organization would be the right fit for me. Plus, I was largely targeting healthcare companies in my search, and I knew that my experiences on the patient-facing side could be an immense asset to leverage during the interview process.Still, each time I shared the reasons behind my unconventional rsum history with a recruiter, I felt a twist of nerves in my stomach, born of the instinctive thought that such an admission would be an overall detriment to the way I am perceived in the workplace.Im sure you can imagine how delighted I was at the number of recruiters and hiring managers who responded with empathy, kindness, and appreciation for my honesty. One recruiter thanked me for my bravery and shared that she also lives with an autoimmune disorder. Another commiserated with me about how challenging it is to live with Lyme disease, as his mother-in-law had just been diagnosed.These conversations typically segued neatly into discussions about my ability to adapt to and around my chronic illness, underscoring that I am the kind of employee (and person) who looks to leverage her lived experience toward positive outcomes for othersand am committed to using all the effort possible to do so.Ultimately, my approach paid off. Since the start of 2024, Ive been able to leverage my experience as a professional patient (a phrase I coined as a half-joking nod to my lifetime spent in and out of doctors offices) to better serve patients and providers through my work as a content marketing specialist for a healthcare startup.Advocating for truly accessible approachesWhen I joined the organization for which I now work, I once again chose to share my experience living with lifelong chronic illnessthis time, with colleagues and my manager.Thats because the internal culture is one that I knew would be accepting and accommodating. During an initial call with a new coworker welcoming me to the team, I learned that they also live with a chronic illness. The ease with which they disclosed, and the way they spoke about the organizations responsethat their disclosure had been met with reminders that their health is the most important thing, and encouragements to arrange elements of their work to be as accommodating as possibletold me that my disclosure would likely be met similarly.As it turns out, I was right. My disclosures sounded different depending on who I was talking to; I often deployed the professional patient joke when in conversation with clinicians or researchers, while I got a bit more granular with the people I collaborate with often, such as my team and my manager. Regardless of how the conversation started, it always ended the same way: They were gracious and thankful for my candor, and I was likewise thankful for their understanding and willingness to hear me.Unfortunately, researchers have consistently found that my experience is a rare one. A 2021 academic analysis found that most chronically ill and disabled office workers spend a disproportionate amount of energy concealing all visible symptoms of their condition for fear of discrimination or retaliation.That means their time spent away from work isnt spent preparing to return refreshed and renewed but rather managing their symptoms so they can continue to conceal them at work. This could include, but certainly isnt limited to, sleeping 10 to 12 or more hours on the weekends, fitting in all-day IV infusions between errand-running on Saturdays, or staying in their home and not speaking to any friends or family members to manage emotional and cognitive burnout. Is it any wonder that people with disabilities are part of the subgroup found to experience 26% higher work-related burnout?Like millions of other workers across the United States, the choices I make about my career and ways of working are driven primarily by the chronic condition with which I live. Employers, founders, and managers can help alleviate this mental burden for their employees with invisible disabilities by doing these three things:Rethink ending remote work. For many disabled or chronically ill employees, remote, hybrid, and/or flexible work isnt a nice-to-haveits an accommodation and an equalizer. In a remote-first workplace, chronically ill or disabled employees can have equal visibility on their work as their able-bodied and healthy counterparts without having to worry about being judged for their invisible condition.Prioritize curiosity and empathy. Two people with the same invisible condition may have very different symptoms. Encourage managers and leaders to respond to disclosures with empathy and gratituderesponses that lead to massive increases in both employee engagement and well-being.Open the floor. While no one owes anyone a candid disclosure of their health status, consider offering opportunities to impact and shape diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives, such as employee resource groups (ERGs), to employees like me who have elected to do so. Their expertise in their own experience is uniquely valuable, and should be seen as such. To that end, ensure these opportunities are genuinely and thoughtfully offered, not just put together as a way to tick a box on a list of inclusive options.As some organizations choose to downsize DEI initiatives, and even stop using words like equity altogether, its never been more vital to ensure employeesregardless of health, ability, gender, race, and moreare supported so they can do their best work. Im living proof that these approaches work, and I hope that more organizations choose to follow suit.

Nowhere is the retro trend more applicable and more pronounced than in the fashion industry where the design pendulum swings back and forth endlessly. Styles come and go and come back again, refreshing not just aesthetics but also the memories of decades long gone. Lately, old designs have been making comebacks in other industries as well, so its really only a matter of time before these worlds collide.In a bold fusion of luxury fashion and tech nostalgia, Louis Vuitton has unveiled its latest accessory collection thats striking all the right chords with fashion enthusiasts and music lovers alike. The French luxury powerhouse is turning back time with a trio of bags inspired by iconic music players of yesteryear, proving that everything old eventually becomes newand luxuriousagain.Designer: Louis Vuitton (via Le Syndrome)Remember frantically scrolling through your iPod to find that perfect song? Louis Vuitton certainly does. The centerpiece of this collection is a sleek music player-inspired bag that pays homage to Apples revolutionary device. Crafted from premium leather, the bag features a small window mimicking an iPod screen, complete with the iconic circular control pad that defined a generation of music consumption.The bag also includes other subtle nods to the portable media player you might miss if you dont look closely. The zipper pulls, for example, are shaped like wired earbuds, though they missed the opportunity to shape them in the familiar style of AirPods. Of course, these buds are plated in gold to give that luxurious character, with LVs monogram printed on the flat side.Not content with just one blast from the past, Louis Vuitton has also created a wearable wallet reminiscent of portable cassette tape players. Alongside it is a cardholder mimicking a cassette tape itself, perfect for sliding into the wearable wallet bag. The cassette-inspired pieces showcase the brands attention to detail, with the rectangular shape and miniature spools that once held our favorite tunes now reimagined as high-fashion accessories meant to hold todays essentials.These designs feature intricate details like playback buttons and Side A and Side B labelingelements that might require explanation to Generation Z but will instantly transport millennials and Gen X back to the days of creating mixtapes for crushes. Inside the wallet features a headphone graphic alongside the Louis Vuitton Logo, further emphasizing this unexpected combination that was probably inspired by Pharrell Williams, who joined Louis Vuitton as Mens Creative Director in 2023.While purely decorative in their music-playing capabilities, these bags are fully functional as luxury accessories. Each piece bears Louis Vuittons signature craftsmanship and materials, ensuring theyre not just novelty items but enduring fashion statements. The collection represents a growing trend of technostalgia in fashion, where obsolete gadgets find new life as inspiration for luxury goods. Its a clever strategy that appeals to consumers emotional connections to the technology that once defined their daily lives.In an era where streaming has made music more accessible but perhaps less tangible, Louis Vuittons nostalgic collection serves as a fashionable reminder of how we once physically connected with our music libraries. The bags transform technological relics into conversation-starting accessories that bridge generations. Fashion enthusiasts wont have to wait long to get their hands on these musical throwbacks. According to sources, the bags, which are part of the marques Spring 2025 line, will be available in Louis Vuitton stores worldwide beginning March 13th, though in typical high-end fashion, um, fashion, expect prices to start in the four-figure dollar territory.The post Louis Vuitton iPod and Cassette Bags Turn Tech Nostalgia into Fashion first appeared on Yanko Design.

3D art of the week: Nicoly Boaventura

The Boulies EP200 is a premium office chair that appeals to anyone looking for a comfortable and supportive chair, whether it's upgrading your work from home setup or for all-night gaming.

Big Techs restrictions on adult content are crippling businesses and organizations focused on sexual health, according to a new report shared exclusively with WIRED.

MacworldFor years, readers have intermittently reported seeing static on external displays after waking them from sleep, but we had a new one arrive recently: a couple had the problem occur on each of their displays. Theres no pattern they see, and, as with previous correspondents, turning the display off and on clears the issues.While theres no one answer, research makes it appear as if either the cableora protocol carried over the cable is the issue. You can troubleshoot this fairly easily depending on the model of Mac and display you have.The HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) protocol runs behind the scenes on all devices that conform to HDMI or DisplayPort specifications (including using them over Thunderbolt or USB) as a laughable attempt to prevent piracy. HDCP requires a kind of handshake between the host device (a Mac or other computer) and a display. If the handshake fails, which can happen if theres a slight delay after the Mac wakes and the display doesnt get the response it needs, you might see static. Unplugging the cable, power cycling the display, or pressing Esc at a login window screen and then pressing any key should clear the state, but only once.Some people have found that changing out their cable solves the problem, whether the root is HDCP or a cable issue. HDMI cables are rated for particular performance. You dont need a specially gold-plated one that costs 20 times as much as a normal cable, but you almost certainly need an HDMI High Speed cable or better, which start at under $10.All DisplayPort cables can handle any resolution and refresh, but because Apple only uses USB-C and HDMI ports for carrying video data, you are likely using either an HDMI-to-HDMI cable, a USB-C-to-HDMI cable, or a USB-C adapter or dock with an HDMI port in it. If your display has native USB-C support and you have a spare port, try a USB-C-to-USB-C cable.This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Jim.Ask Mac 911Weve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns:read our super FAQto see if your question is covered. If not, were always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours tomac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered; we dont reply to emails, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

This article first appeared in The Checkup,MIT Technology Reviewsweekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first,sign up here.This week Ive been working on a story about a brain of glass. About five years ago, archaeologists found shiny black glass fragments inside the skull of a man who died in the Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 CE. It seems they are pieces of brain, turned to glass.Scientists have found ancient brains beforesome are thought to be at least 10,000 years old. But this is the only time theyve seen a brain turn to glass. Theyve even been able to spot neurons inside it.The mans remains were found at Herculaneum, an ancient city that was buried under meters of volcanic ash following the eruption. We dont know if there are any other vitrified brains on the site. None have been found so far, but only about a quarter of the city has been excavated.Some archaeologists want to continue excavating the site. But others argue that we need to protect it. Further digging will expose it to the elements, putting the artifacts and remains at risk of damage. You can only excavate a site once, so perhaps its worth waiting until we have the technology to do so in the least destructive way.After all, there are some pretty recent horror stories of excavations involving angle grinders, and of ancient body parts ending up in garages. Future technologies might eventually make our current approaches look similarly barbaric.The inescapable fact of fields like archaeology or paleontology is this: When you study ancient remains, youll probably end up damaging them in some way. Take, for example, DNA analysis. Scientists have made a huge amount of progress in this field. Today, geneticists can crack the genetic code of extinct animals and analyze DNA in soil samples to piece together the history of an environment.But this kind of analysis essentially destroys the sample. To perform DNA analysis on human remains, scientists typically cut out a piece of bone and grind it up. They might use a tooth. But once it has been studied, that sample is gone for good.Archaeological excavations have been performed for hundreds of years, and as recently as the 1950s, it was common for archaeologists to completely excavate a site they discovered. But those digs cause damage too.Nowadays, when a site is discovered, archaeologists tend to focus on specific research questions they might want to answer, and excavate only enough to answer those questions, says Karl Harrison, a forensic archaeologist at the University of Exeter in the UK. We will cross our fingers, excavate the minimal amount, and hope that the next generation of archaeologists will have new, better tools and finer abilities to work on stuff like this, he says.In general, scientists have also become more careful with human remains. Matteo Borrini, a forensic anthropologist at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, curates his universitys collection of skeletal remains, which he says includes around 1,000 skeletons of medieval and Victorian Britons. The skeletons are extremely valuable for research, says Borrini, who himself has investigated the remains of one person who died from exposure to phosphorus in a match factory and another who was murdered.When researchers ask to study the skeletons, Borrini will find out whether the research will somehow alter them. If there is destructive sampling, we need to guarantee that the destruction will be minimal, and that there will be enough material [left] for further study, he says. Otherwise we dont authorize the study.If only previous generations of archaeologists had taken a similar approach. Harrison told me the story of the discovery of St Bees man, a medieval man found in a lead coffin in Cumbria, UK, in 1981. The man, thought to have died in the 1300s, was found to be extraordinarily well preservedhis skin was intact, his organs were present, and he even still had his body hair.Normally, archaeologists would dig up such ancient specimens with care, using tools made of natural substances like stone or brick, says Harrison. Not so for St Bees man. His coffin was opened with an angle grinder, says Harrison. The mans body was removed and stuck in a truck, where he underwent a standard modern forensic postmortem, he adds.His thorax would have been opened up, his organs [removed and] weighed, [and] the top of his head would have been cut off, says Harrison. Samples of the mans organs were kept in [the pathologists] garage for 40 years.If St Bees man were discovered today, the story would be completely different. The coffin itself would be recognized as a precious ancient artifact that should be handled with care, and the mans remains would be scanned and imaged in the least destructive way possible, says Harrison.Even Lindow man, who was discovered a mere three years later in nearby Manchester, got better treatment. His remains were found in a peat bog, and he is thought to have died over 2,000 years ago. Unlike poor St Bees man, he underwent careful scientific investigation, and his remains took pride of place in the British Museum. Harrison remembers going to see the exhibit when he was 10 years old.Harrison says hes dreaming of minimally destructive DNA technologiestools that might help us understand the lives of long-dead people without damaging their remains. Im looking forward to covering those in the future. (In the meantime, Im personally dreaming of a trip torespectfully and carefullyvisit Herculaneum.)Now read the rest of The CheckupRead more from MIT Technology Reviews archiveSome believe an ancient-DNA revolution is underway, as scientists use modern technologies to learn about human, animal, and environmental remains from the past. My colleague Antonio Regalado has the details in his recent feature. The piece was published in the latest edition of our magazine, which focuses on relationships.Ancient DNA analysis made it to MIT Technology Reviews annual list of top 10 Breakthrough Technologies in 2023. You can read our thoughts on the breakthroughs of 2025 here.DNA that was frozen for 2 million years was sequenced in 2022. The ancient DNA fragments, which were recovered from Greenland, may offer insight into the environment of the polar desert at the time.Environmental DNA, also known as eDNA, can help scientists assemble a snapshot of all the organisms in a given place. Some are studying samples collected from Angkor Wat in Cambodia, which is believed to have been built in the 12th century.Others are hoping that ancient DNA can be used to de-extinct animals that once lived on Earth. Colossal Biosciences is hoping to resurrect the dodo and the woolly mammoth.From around the webNext-generation obesity drugs might be too effective. One trial participant lost 22% of her body weight in nine months. Another lost 30% of his weight in just eight months. (STAT)A US court upheld the conviction of Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of the biotechnology company Theranos, who was sentenced to over 11 years for defrauding investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars. Her sentence has since been reduced by two years for good behavior. (The Guardian)An unvaccinated child died of measles in Texas. The death is the first reported as a result of the outbreak that is spreading in Texas and New Mexico, and the first measles death reported in the US in a decade. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to be downplaying the outbreak. (NBC News)A mysterious disease with Ebola-like symptoms has emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hundreds of people have been infected in the last five weeks, and more than 50 people have died. (Wired)Towana Looney has been discharged from the hospital three months after receiving a gene-edited pig kidney. Im so grateful to be alive and thankful to have received this incredible gift, she said. (NYU Langone)