The notion of responsive platform security on Apple devices becomes far more profound now that Jamf, a leading device management and security vendor in the space, has agreed to acquire Identity Automation, an education-focused dynamic identity and access management (IAM) platform, for around $215 million.Whats interesting about this deal is that the combined technologies should allow Jamf to support dynamic identity and access scenarios in a variety of industries.Some, such as education, healthcare retail, aviation, and field engineering, are frequently characterized by rapidly changing roles, teams, schedules, and location, and require dynamic adjustment of security policy to support workers in what they do. Student roles and access frequently change based on class, grade, school, and district, for example, while air crews might require secure access to company resources from rapidly changing geographies.Making identity and access dynamicIdentity Automations platform automates identity and access management workflows, which enables IT to more easily support security in such situations. The acquisition means Jamf can combine identity and device access in its software, further empowering Apple-based IT admins with what appears to be an initial focus on the education sector, where roles are particularly dynamic.Its important to understand that education IT frequently finds itself provisioning tens of thousands of devices in a very short time, particularly at the start of each semester. In that context, tools like these could prove invaluable. Identity Automation CEO Jim Harold, explained: An intuitive user experience is essential to ensuring technology enhances rather than hinders the classroom experience.Said Jamf CEO John Strosahl: By bringing our security solutions together, were creating a more streamlined and user-friendly experience that enables fast, dynamic access to all the resources users need to be productive. We see the huge potential to help organizations that have a shared-device model, deskless workers, temporary staff, or contractors. By removing cumbersome onboarding and off-boarding processes, users can be productive as soon as they pick up a device.How Identity Automation worksIdentity Automation offers its service through a cloud-based platform and includes tools for managing identity lifecycles, governance, and authentication:Identity Lifecycle Management: End-to-end lifecycle management automates provisioning, role assignments, and de-provisioning with real-time updates from HR systems.Access Governance: Policy-driven configurations control who has access to systems and data.Authentication: Customizable, multi-factor authentication policies handle role-based access, Single Sign-On (SSO), and rostering capabilities.What makes the acquisition more interesting is that the tech can also integrate with other identity and SSO solutions, including those from Okta, Clever, and ClassLink. It will integrate with Microsoft Active Directory (AD) for authentication and MFA, and enable federation and SSO access for Googles cloud-based applications.In other words, bringing this technology into the Jamf fold means it will be available to a range of users for use in numerous deployment models.Its also logical to think it might eventually give Jamf additional reach into international markets, given that Identity Managements RapidIdentity service is adopted nationally in Norway.Why does this matter? Accelerating technological change and the implications of increasingly mobile workforces and AI-driven business processes imply that security provisioning must itself become a business-enabling tech, not just a security requirement.Combined withDeclarative Device Management and No Trust, IAM systems that enable dynamic and responsive access and identity management should help support fast-changing business environments, particularly when the threat landscape is becoming more hostile by the day.That Mac, iPhone, and iPad users can expect to be peer players in this evolution of device management also reflects Apples growing status in the enterprise. Would this have been true on the launch of the original iMac? Almost certainly not.You can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky,LinkedIn,andMastodon.

This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.De-extinction scientists say these gene-edited woolly mice are a step towards woolly mammothsTheyre small, fluffy and kind of cute, but these mice represent a milestone in de-extinction efforts, according to their creators. The animals have undergone a series of genetic tweaks that give them woolly mammoth-like featuresand their creation may bring scientists a step closer to resurrecting the ancient, giant animals that roamed the tundra thousands of years ago.Scientists at Colossal have been working to de-extinct the woolly mammoth, since the company was launched four years ago.Now, her team has shown that they can create healthy animals that look the way the team wants them to lookand pave the way towards recreating a woolly mammoth-like elephant. Read the full story.Jessica HamzelouShould we be moving data centers to space?Last week, the Florida-based company Lonestar Data Holdings launched a shoebox-size device carrying data from internet pioneer Vint Cerf and the government of Florida, among others, on board Intuitive Machines Athena lander. When its device lands on the moon later this week, the company will be the first to explicitly test out a question that has been on some technologists minds of late: Maybe its time to move data centers off Earth?After all, energy-guzzling data centers are springing up like mushrooms all over the world, devouring precious land, straining our power grids, consuming water, and emitting noise. Building facilities in orbit or on or near the moon might help ameliorate many of these issues.But for these data centers to succeed, they must be able to withstand harsh conditions in space, pull in enough solar energy to operate, and make economic sense. Read the full story.Tereza PultarovaAt RightsCon in Taipei, activists reckon with a US retreat from promoting digital rightsEileen GuoLast week, I joined over 3,200 digital rights activists, tech policymakers, and researchers in Taipei at RightsCon, the worlds largest digital rights conference.Human rights conferences can be sobering, to say the least. But this years RightsCon, the 13th since the event began as the Silicon Valley Human Rights Conference in 2011, felt especially urgent. This was primarily due to the shocking, rapid gutting of the US federal government by the Elon Muskled DOGE initiative, and the reverberations this would have around the world.At RightsCon, the cuts to USAID were top of mind: the agency is facing over 90% cuts to its budget under the Trump administration. But its not just funding cuts that will curtail digital rights globally. As various speakers highlighted throughout the conference, the United States government has gone from taking the leading role in supporting an open and safe internet to demonstrating how to dismantle it. Heres what speakers are seeing.Inside the Wild West of AI companionshipJames ODonnellLast week, I made a troubling discovery about an AI companion site called Botify AI: It was hosting sexually charged conversations with underage celebrity bots. These bots took on characters meant to resemble, among others, Jenna Ortega as high schooler Wednesday Addams, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, and Millie Bobby Brown. I discovered these bots also offer to send hot photos and in some instances describe age-of-consent laws as arbitrary and meant to be broken.Botify AI removed these bots after I asked questions about them, but others remain. The company said it does have filters in place meant to prevent such underage character bots from being created, but that they dont always work. It highlights how, despite their soaring popularity, AI companionship sites mostly operate in a Wild West, with few laws or even basic rules governing them. Read the full story.This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here.The must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 The Trump administration has paused military aid to UkraineIn a bid to pressure President Zelensky into peace talks with Russia. (WP $)+ US intelligence is the most crucial component in the package. (Economist $)+ Meet the radio-obsessed civilian shaping Ukraines drone defense. (MIT Technology Review)2 The US has imposed sweeping new tariffs on China, Mexico and CanadaExperts fear the new import tariffs will spark a bitter trade war. (CNN)+ China swiftly retaliated with its own broad tariffs on food imports. (NYT $)+ This tit-for-tat approach rarely ends well for anyone. (The Atlantic $)3 DOGEs credit card freeze is preventing government workers from doing their jobsThe measure has stopped them purchasing vital equipment and basic supplies. (Wired $)+ A government shutdown could be imminent. (NY Mag $)+ Can AI help DOGE slash government budgets? Its complex. (MIT Technology Review)4 A measles outbreak is spreading across TexasFor now, it appears to be relatively contained. (Vox)+ RFK Jr has failed to directly encourage parents to vaccinate their children. (NYT $)+ Why childhood vaccines are a public health success story. (MIT Technology Review)5 Top scientists are pushing to expel Elon Musk from the Royal SocietyThe UKs national science academy is concerned about how Musks cost-cutting measures will affect research. (FT $)6 Traders are becoming residents of this tropical island to skirt crypto-buying rulesWithout ever visiting the Republic of Palau. (404 Media)+ A war is brewing over cryptos regulatory future. (WSJ $)7 How a mysterious Shenzhen businessman build a vaping empireAnd paid little attention to global regulations along the way. (Bloomberg $)8 Amazon is fed up of job seekers using AI in its interviewsAnyone caught using unsanctioned AI tools will be removed from the process. (Insider $)9 How a failed Xbox accessory became a hit in the art worldThe Kinect motion-sensing camera is wildly popular among creatives. (The Guardian)10 Electric vehicles from BYD now come with an inbuilt drone launcherIts only available in China for now, though. (The Verge)+ The electric-vehicle maker has set its sights on expanding beyond China and into lucrative new territories. (MIT Technology Review)Quote of the dayThe big storyWelcome to Chula Vista, where police drones respond to 911 callsFebruary 2023In the skies above Chula Vista, California, where the police department runs a drone program, its not uncommon to see an unmanned aerial vehicle darting across the sky.Chula Vista is one of a dozen departments in the US that operate what are called drone-as-first-responder programs, where drones are dispatched by pilots, who are listening to live 911 calls, and often arrive first at the scenes of accidents, emergencies, and crimes, cameras in tow.But many argue that police forces adoption of drones is happening too quickly, without a well-informed public debate around privacy regulations, tactics, and limits. Theres also little evidence that drone policing reduces crime. Read the full story.Patrick SissonWe can still have nice thingsA place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet em at me.)+ The Great Wall of China is still surprising us after all these years.+ Nickelodeons answer to Disneyland looks suitably unhinged.+ Its time to celebrate the life of James Harrison, one of the worlds most prolific blood donors whose generosity saved the lives of millions of babies.+ Lets take a look inside Tokyos ongoing love affair with Italian food.

Theyre small, fluffy, and kind of cute, but these mice represent a milestone in de-extinction efforts, according to their creators. The animals have undergone a series of genetic tweaks that give them features similar to those of woolly mammothsand their creation may bring scientists a step closer to resurrecting the giant animals that roamed the tundra thousands of years ago.Its a big deal, says Beth Shapiro, chief science officer at Colossal Biosciences, the company behind the work. Scientists at Colossal have been working to de-extinct the woolly mammoth since the company was launched four years ago. Now she and her colleagues have shown they can create healthy animals that look the way the team wants them to look, she says.The Colossal woolly mouse marks a watershed moment in our de-extinction mission, company cofounder Ben Lamm said in a statement. This success brings us a step closer to our goal of bringing back the woolly mammoth.Colossals researchers say their ultimate goal is not to re-create a woolly mammoth wholesale. Instead, the team is aiming for what they call functional de-extinctioncreating a mammoth-like elephant that can survive in something like the extinct animals habitat and potentially fulfill the role it played in that ecosystem. Shapiro and her colleagues hope that an Arctic-adapted elephant might make that ecosystem more resilient to climate change by helping to spread the seeds of plants, for example.But other experts take a more skeptical view. Even if they succeed in creating woolly mammoths, or something close to them, we cant be certain that the resulting animals will benefit the ecosystem, says Kevin Daly, a paleogeneticist at Trinity College Dublin. I think this is a very optimistic view of the potential ecological effects of mammoth reintroduction, even if everything goes to plan, he says. It would be hubristic to think we might have a complete grasp on what the introduction of a species such as the mammoth might do to an environment.Mice and mammothsWoolly mammoth DNA has been retrieved from freeze-dried remains of animals that are tens of thousands of years old. Shapiro and her colleagues plan to eventually make changes to the genomes of modern-day elephants to make them more closely resemble those ancient mammoth genomes, in the hope that the resulting animals will look and behave like their ancient counterparts.Before the team begins tinkering with elephants, Shapiro says, she wants to be confident that these kinds of edits work and are safe in mice. After all, Asian elephants, which are genetically related to woolly mammoths, are endangered. Elephants also have a gestation period of 22 months, which will make research slow and expensive. The gestation period of a mouse, on the other hand, is a mere 20 days, says Shapiro. It makes [research] a lot faster.There are other benefits to starting in mice. Scientists have been closely studying the genetics of these rodents for decades. Shapiro and her colleagues were able to look up genes that have already been linked to wavy, long, and light-colored fur, as well as lipid metabolism. They made a shortlist of such genes that were also present in woolly mammoths but not in elephants.The team identified 10 target genes in total. All were mouse genes but were thought to be linked to mammoth-like features. We cant just put a mammoth gene into a mouse, says Shapiro. Theres 200 million years of evolutionary divergence between them.Shapiro and her colleagues then carried out a set of experiments that used CRISPR and other gene-editing techniques to target these genes in groups of mice. In some cases, the team directly altered the genomes of mouse embryos before transferring them to surrogate mouse mothers. In other cases, they edited cells and injected the resulting edited cells into early-stage embryos before implanting them into other surrogates.In total, 34 pups were born with varying numbers of gene edits, depending on which approach was taken. All of them appear to be healthy, says Shapiro. She and her colleagues will publish their work at the preprint server bioRxiv, and it has not yet been peer-reviewed.COLOSSALIts an important proof of concept for the reintroduction of extinct genetic variants in living [animal groups], says Linus Girdland Flink, a specialist in ancient DNA at the University of Aberdeen, who is not involved in the project but says he supports the idea of de-extinction.The mice are certainly woolly. But the team dont yet know if theyd be able to survive in the cold, harsh climates that woolly mammoths lived in. Over the next year, Shapiro and her colleagues plan to investigate whether the gene edits conferred anything other than cuteness, she says. The team will feed the mice different diets and expose them to various temperatures in the lab to see how they respond.Back from the brinkRepresentatives of Colossal have said that they plan to create a woolly mammoth by 2027 or 2028. At the moment, the team is considering 85 genes of interest. Were still working to compile the ultimate list, says Shapiro. The resulting animal should have tusks, a big head, and strong neck muscles, she adds.Given the animals long gestation period, reaching a 2028 deadline would mean implanting an edited embryo into an elephant surrogate in the next year or so. Shapiro says that the team is on track to meet this target but adds that theres 22 months of biology thats really out of our control.That timeline is optimistic, to say the least. The target date has already been moved by a year, and the company had originally hoped to have resurrected the thylacine by 2025. Daly, who is not involved in the study, thinks the birth of a woolly mammoth is closer to a decade away.In any case, if the project is eventually successful, the resulting animal wont be 100% mammoth: it will be a new animal. And it is impossible to predict how it will behave and interact with its environment, says Daly.When you watch Jurassic Park, you see dinosaurs as we imagine they would have been, and how they might have interacted with each other in the past, he says. In reality, biology is incredibly complicated. An animals behavior is shaped by everything from the embryos environment and the microbes it encounters at birth to social interactions. All of those things are going to be missing for a de-extinct animal, says Daly.It is also difficult to predict how well respond to a woolly mammoth. Maybe well just treat them as [tourist attractions], and ruin any kind of ecological benefits that they might have, says Daly. Colossals director of species conservation told MIT Technology Review in 2022 that the company might eventually sell tickets to see its de-extinct animals.The team at Colossal is also working on projects to de-extinct the dodo as well as the thylacine. In addition, team members are interested in using biotech to help conservation of existing animals that are at risk of extinction. When a species dwindles, the genetic pool can shrink. This has been the fate of the pink pigeon, a genetic relative of the dodo that lives in Mauritius. The number of pink pigeons is thought to have shrunk to about 10 individuals twice in the last century.A lack of genetic diversity can leave a species prone to disease. Shapiro and her colleagues are looking for more genetic diversity in DNA from museum specimens. They hope to be able to edit diversity back into the genome of the modern-day birds.The Hawaiian honeycreeper is especially close to Shapiros heart. The honeycreepers are in danger of becoming extinct because we [humans] introduced avian malaria into their habitat, and they dont have a way to fight [it], she says. If we could come up with a way to help them to be resistant to avian malaria, then that will give them a chance at survival.Girdland Flink, of the University of Aberdeen, is more interested in pigs. Farmed pigs have also lost a lot of genetic diversity, he says. The genetic ancestry of modern pigs looks nothing like the genetic ancestry of the earliest domesticated pigs, he says. Pigs are vulnerable to plenty of viral strains and are considered to be viral incubators. Searching the genome of ancient pig remains for extinctand potentially beneficialgenetic variants might provide us with ways to make todays pigs more resilient to disease.The past is a resource that can be harnessed, he says.

Apple today introduced the new iPad Air, powered by the M3 chip and built for Apple Intelligence.

Sneaking in underneath the new iPad Air, Apple also updated the iPad, adding more storage and the A16 for the same starting price as the previous model.2024 new iPad 10th generationIn almost an afterthought, Apple also boosted the iPad. Apple is still calling the new iPad with A16 the 10th generation, but the internal changes are notable.Most obviously, the new iPad 10th generation has the A16 processor. Apple says that compared to the previous generation, the updated iPad with A16 is nearly 30 percent faster. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple has launched an update to the iPad Air, retaining the same design and updating the processor to the powerful M3.Apple iPad Air - Image Credit: AppleThe new iPad Air, the sixth-generation model, has been introduced by Apple. The midway point between the iPad line and the iPad Pro, the iPad Air continues to provide some of the performance benefits of the Pro models at a more wallet-friendly price.The big change is the switch to the M3 chip, with the changes including a 9-core GPU instead of an eight-core version, an 8-core CPU with a 35% improved clock speed over M1, and a better Neural Engine. There's also the Media Engine for ProRes and ProRes RAW encoding. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Chinese architect Liu Jiakun, founder of Jiakun Architecture, has been awarded the 2025Pritzker Prize.Born in Chengdu, Liu has built a career spanning over four decades, developing projects that blend modernity with traditional Chinese architectural elements. Rooted in cultural, historical, and social considerations, the architect's work often seeks to create spaces that serve and uplift communities.West Village, photo courtesy of Arch-ExistLius approach to urbanism challenges conventional development models, introducing public spaces within dense city environments and emphasizing the human experience in architecture. One of Liu's most notable projects,West Village(Chengdu, 2015), exemplifies such an approach to urban density, with a five-story mixed-use development that spans an entire city block, integrating cultural, commercial, and recreational spaces within a network of sloping pathways for cyclists and pedestrians. The design contrasts with the surrounding high-rise lan...

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.In Tokyo, construction is measured in weeks, not years. Its a place where efficiency is often valued above artistry. Its a place where Keisuke Okas Arimaston Building really shouldnt exist.A structure built entirely by hand over two decades, with no formal plans, no digital modeling and certainly no construction teams working to a deadline, the Arimaston Building is the product of one mans patience, skill and refusal to conform to a system that treats architecture as an industrial process rather than the art of creation.The walls are notoriously irregular and the concrete surfaces are textured with imprints from makeshift molds. Things like food trays, scrap metal and whatever was available at the time were used. It is a building that quite literally tells the story of its own making. Unlike the typical Tokyo towers, all sharp angles and glass, the Arimaston Building is a record of human decision-making at every stage.Yet, instead of being seen as an argument for the enduring intelligence of craft, Okas project is treated as an eccentricity, an exception rather than a viable approach to building. It is part of a wider issue that has grown within architecture: the systematic replacement of craft, material knowledge and human adaptability with automation, prefabrication and algorithmic efficiency. Architecture has gradually become a profession that has distanced itself from the act of making and, in doing so, has lost something fundamental knowledge.Project Plum Grove by School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong KongHandcraft is not a novelty. It is a way of building that has been refined over millennia, guided by material intelligence, regional conditions and cultural heritage. To treat it as obsolete is to ignore the very basis of architectural and human evolution. Unfortunately, many architects assume that just because something can be mechanized, it should be.At Sacsayhuamn in Peru, Inca stonemasons created a fortress of stone blocks, each weighing several tons and precisely fitted without mortar. These structures, built over 500 years ago, have withstood centuries of earthquakes that would have flattened modern buildings. Each stone was shaped one at a time to fit perfectly with the previous one to create a structure without weak points, enabling it to absorb seismic forces with ease.I,Ruud Zwart,Djenne great mud mosque,CC BY-SA 3.0The Great Mosque of Djenn in Mali, first built in the 13th century, isnt the same building as it was when it was first erected. Like a living system, each year, the local community gathers to apply fresh layers of mud plaster, renewing the structure that has eroded due to flooding or weather conditions. The result is an architecture that is the opposite of disposable, a building designed to last indefinitely, provided its users remain engaged with its care.Compare those examples to the standard lifespan of contemporary buildings. Many are engineered for obsolescence. The industrialization of architecture was sold as a step forward, but much of the real gain was not for architects or buildings. It was for developers and manufacturers. The faster a building can be constructed, the sooner it can be sold or leased. The less skilled labor is required, the cheaper the project is overall. The more standardized the materials, the easier they are to replace rather than repair.This shift has had consequences for our built world. Prefabrication and digital workflows have distanced architects from the very materials they specify. Few will have worked with the stone, timber, or concrete they design with. Fewer still will have a working knowledge of the skills required to shape them.A stonemason working with limestone understands how to read the grain of the rock, how it will fracture, how it will weather over time. Carpenters trained in Sashimono learn to build timber structures without nails or adhesives, instead using precise interlocking joints that can be undone. These structural solutions, refined over centuries, make buildings more durable, movable and repairable.Limestone Gallery by He Wei Studio3andwich Design, Anlong, Qianxinan, ChinaThere is an argument that modern digital modeling tools now allow architects to analyze materials in ways that were previously impossible. AI can optimize timber cuts to minimize waste, robotic arms can carve stone with sub-millimeter precision, and parametric modeling can predict structural stress with near-perfect accuracy. But analysis is not intuition. A craftsman working directly with materials develops an embodied knowledge of their behavior: how they flex, resist, expand, and decay.It is not that machine-built architecture is bad its just that it has become the default, while anything requiring human craftsmanship is treated as a luxury. Its expensive, slow, and very often looked at as impossible.Yet sometimes, like the Arimaston Building, exceptions can prove that handbuilt can be just as effective and the alternative. Limestone Gallery in Xiadi Village, China, is suspended on a clifftop of 100 meters above a river. A precarious site that is difficult to reach and complicated to work with. It required a large portion of the construction work to be done manually by local laborers. Adjusting and adapting the process as the site was developed. The gallery now fits perfectly in its location.Sail Houseby David Hertz Architects, Studio of Environmental Architecture, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Photo by Kevin Scott PhotographyOr in Bequia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, where Sail House combines modern design strategy with traditional hand-building methods. Designed by David Hertz Architects, the nautical-inspired buildings took into consideration the difficulty of construction in the Caribbean with its limited resources. It was decided that the buildings should be prefabricated in Indonesia and then shipped to the site. On arrival, the buildings were assembled by hand in just two months. One of the main benefits of this type of construction is that these structures can be disassembled just as they were assembled, and individual sections can be repaired or replaced as they wear.If architecture is to retain its material intelligence, its authorship, and its connection to place, it should not fully surrender to mechanization. These projects show that hand-building is far from an obsolete tradition and when combined with modern techniques, it is a choice that remains entirely viable for architects. The problem has never been technology itself and handcraft should not entirely reject innovation. What it should reject is the idea that efficiency is the only measure of value. That speed matters more than longevity. That cheapness is an acceptable substitute for quality.Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.The post Architecture, Unplugged: Why Forward-Thinking Architects Are Reclaiming the Art of Building by Hand appeared first on Journal.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.Tiny living is the new hot trend in the real estate market. Even though it started primarily as a necessity due to the imminent rise of residential prices, living within a smaller footprint has become a rather popular choice, especially for younger generations. Lower expenses and maintenance costs along with current movements such as minimalism and essentialism have contributed to the growing appeal of tiny living, encouraging people to embrace a simpler, more intentional lifestyle, whilst presenting a profound challenge for architects.In tiny homes, every inch counts and these projects offer an insight in tackling such challenges. By creating open-plan spaces, both horizontally as well as vertically, is key in establishing visual connections within a limited space, making it appear airy and uncluttered. In the case of single-story, small-scale housing however, creating a change in level adds variety and separation in-between functions without the need for solid dividers and walls. This design approach in addition to placing openings strategically along the buildings faade, also offers an abundance of natural light, despite the narrow footprint. Finally, by doubling functions throughout the space i.e., designing a roof that also acts as a deck maximizes the spaces efficiency, where every element serves multiple purposes in a compact living environment.The following six projects, situated both within urban settings and the countryside, showcase different strategies in tackling a constrained footprint.TINYLEAFBy GOC, Mazama, Washington The site for this small cabin lies in the heart of the Methow Valley, whose context and climate were key to the projects design. The cabin serves as an outpost, realised prior to any other (larger) building, allowing the client to occupy the site much sooner. The design is essentially a 15x22 rectangle, slotted in the hillside with the south faade featuring large, glazed sliding doors that invite in the landscape. The interior is comprised of a single room that includes a kitchen, a living room and a bed, while the flat roof doubles as a deck for the summer months and holds the snow during winter for improved thermal mass.Tiny HomeBy Ev.design.office, Deylaman, Iran The project is located within a forest close to the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Following a series of economic constraints, the design aim was to create a small home that offered a functional space for weekend escapes while becoming integrated within the landscape. Consequently, local wood and metal were used to prop the house off the ground, taking advantage of the breathtaking views. In parallel, the interior is comprised of a linear, condensed layout that leads to a spacious balcony, while the overall building construction considered the humid climate of the region, opting for a low-energy consumption design.Tsubomi House (Tokyo Bud House)By FLAT HOUSE, Tokyo, Japan Tsubomy House has a total footprint of 280 square feet and even includes a biscuit shop on the basement. The house is divided into seven split levels without partitions, all connected by a staircase that acts as the central core. Even though each individual level is small with barely enough room to place essential furniture, this open-plan vertical layout allows each room to feel spacious and interconnected. Additionally, the design accelerates the circulation and movement within the space and encourages impromptu social interactions.House in TamatsuBy Ido, Kenji Architectural Studio, Osaka, Japan The house is designed for four family members and is situated on a small 470 square feet plot. The surrounding urban context is made of small houses, factories and office buildings, thus forming narrow empty spaces fit for construction with limited natural light. Consequently, light and an open-plan layout were key factors to consider during the design process, with custom-designed openings in strategic orientation becoming the protagonists of the structure.Little One-Room HouseBy Studio Velocity, Nagoya, Japan The house / shop is situated on a small elongated 440 square feet plot, amongst an array of two-storey residences. In order to respond to the challenging space, Studio Velocity designed a curved structure that stood out from the road and created residual exterior spaces, such as a garden, a dining and a parking area. In parallel, the more public functions such as the entrance and the reception were positioned in the narrow end of the plan, while the more private and concealed were situated at the back of the site. The shape and open-plan organization aimed at allowing the inhabitants to have uninterrupted views and circulation of the space in order to counter for its small footprint.Niki-KBy SEISHO TAKASHI ARCHITECTS STUDIO, Hokkaido, Japan The house is for a young couple who run a vineyard and winery in Hokkaido. The interior is a continuous, open-plan space, subtly divided into functional areas through a change in level, to allow flow and movement. In parallel, the overall building volume is propped upon concrete blocks, giving the illusion that it is floating, while its exterior is clad with Corten steel for a more lightweight structure. This particular material gradually deteriorates over time, offering an interesting interplay in texture.Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.Featured Image: Niki-K by EISHO TAKASHI ARCHITECTS STUDIO, Hokkaido, JapanThe post From City Streets to Countryside Retreats: 6 Tiny Homes with Big Ambitions appeared first on Journal.

While Capcom has already announced that Monster Hunter Wilds is essentially one of its biggest launch so far, the title has been proving this fact over the weekend. According to SteamDB, Monster Hunter Wilds had, at its peak, more than 1.38 million concurrent players. This also marked a new milestone for Steam, since the title helped the PC gaming platform hit a new peak of 40 million concurrent players.At the time of writing, Monster Hunter Wilds currently sits at number 2 on Steams concurrent players list with 1.13 million players. This puts it right behind free-to-play competitive shooter Counter-Strike 2, which currently has 1.48 million players. When it comes to all-time figures, however, Monster Hunter Wilds is currently ranked as the fifth most played game in terms of concurrent players.The list is headed up by PUBG: Battlegrounds, which at its peak had more than 3.2 million concurrent players. Not counting free-to-play titles, Monster Hunter Wilds would be ranked third in terms of concurrent players, right behind Black Myth: Wukong (peak of 2.4 million players), and Palworld (peak of 2.1 million players).Capcom revealed this week that Monster Hunter Wilds had sold 8 million copies within three days of its February 28 release. For context, the previous mainline game in the series was Monster Hunter Rise, which sold 4 million copies in a similar time frame, while the older Monster Hunter World had sold more than 5 million copies.In the wake of Monster Hunter Wilds success, Capcom has announced that series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto will be taking up a new position of Chief Product Officer of the companys game development divisions. Starting in the new position on April 1, Tsujimoto will be taking over the role from Yoichi Egawa.Things havent been completely rosy for Monster Hunter Wilds, however. Earlier this week, Capcom had announced that it was investigating a bug that could result in players being blocked off from progressing through its story. The bug essentially prevented an NPC that players need to interact with from spawning.This bug has seemingly been fixed with a recent update, however. The update also fixed other minor problems that Monster Hunter Wilds had, like the Ingredient Center not unlocking for some players. For a full list of bugs fixed with the update, check out our coverage.Monster Hunter Wilds has also had a rocky launch across platforms, with PC players seemingly being hit the hardest. The titles aggregate review rating on Steam currently sits at Mixed, with many players complaining about the titles poor performance on hardware that meets, if not exceeds, the spec requirements that Capcom had confirmed.Addressing these performance issues, Capcom had taken to social media platform X, asking players to try various fixes like updating GPU drivers, disabling any compatibility modes that might be interfering with the game, and readjusting the in-game graphical settings.Monster Hunter Wilds is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. For more details, check out our review.