CVS Health is rolling out new and smaller pharmacy format in 2025 amid hundreds of drugstore ... [+] closures across the industry and investor pressure to boost profits. Shown here is an artist rendering of a new small format store.CVS Health CVS Health is rolling out new and smaller pharmacy formats amid hundreds of drugstore closures across the industry and investor pressure to boost profits.CVS this year will rollout smaller format locations in at least a dozen locations, the Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend. This comes as CVS main rival Walgreens Boots Alliance works on a financial turnaround, closes hundreds of stores and prepares for private ownership after Walgreens last week announced a $10 billion sale to Sycamore Partners.We plan to open a dozen or more smaller format CVS Pharmacy locations in select communities nationally over the next year, CVS confirmed Sunday in a statement. The new pharmacies will be introduced in select neighborhoods to help bridge gaps in care and make it easier for patients to access medications, immunizations, and other pharmacist-provided health care services. New and smaller formats are not new for either CVS or Walgreens, which was opening small stores in 2019.But the push for new sizes and formats has taken on more urgency because both companies have large amounts of debt and face escalating pressure from flat or falling sales of general merchandise in the front of their stores.Meanwhile, both companies own or lease real estate and dont need as much space in their stores as more Americans shop online and traditional drugstores like CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens face more pressure from the likes of Amazon as well as developments in technology and prescription distribution that give patients less need to physically come into a store.CVS has already been reformatting stores they have closed to include a traditional pharmacy as well as a senior center that includes medical care providers, social workers and community activities operated by Oak Street Health, which CVS paid $10 billion for two years ago.CVS says the smaller drugstore format is in keeping with a customized approach to its footprint that is focused on the specific needs of the communities we serve and to better support patient and ensure the right geographic coverage.CVS closed 900 stores between 2022 and 2024 and plans to close another 270 this year. Meanwhile, Walgreens is in the process of closing 1,200 of its 8,500 stores in the U.S. over three years. And just last year, Rite Aid emerged from federal bankruptcy protection as a more regional drugstore chain operating in 16 states after shedding more than 500 stores during the bankruptcy proceedings.Still, CVS said closing stores doesnt mean exiting markets and 85% Americans still live within 10 miles of its retail pharmacies. The company has also been opening pharmacies including 100 stores between 2022 and 2024 and has plans to open nearly 30 CVS Pharmacy locations, including those inside Target stores, in 2025, in addition to the new small-format pharmacies, the company said.We plan to open a dozen or more smaller format CVS Pharmacy locations in select communities nationally over the next year, CVS said in its statement. The new pharmacies will be introduced in select neighborhoods to help bridge gaps in care and make it easier for patients to access medications, immunizations, and other pharmacist-provided health care services. Each location will average less than 5,000 square feet, will feature a full-service pharmacy with limited over-the-counter products available for purchase and will be designed to meet the communitys specific pharmacy needs.

Keanu Reeves comic book series BRZRKR is one step closer to getting a live-action adaptation. Netflix has lined up director Justin Lin to tackle the film, which will be written by The Batman Part 2co-writer Mattson Tomlin.According to The Hollywood Reporter, Reeves is still set to star in the movie and produce the film alongside Boom! Studios, Company Films, and Lins Perfect Storm production house. Since 2006, Lin has been closely associated with the Fast and Furious movies by directing five of the 10 films to date. Lin was even slated to direct a sixth film, Fast X, before he departed from the project over creative differences with series star Vin Diesel. Lin has also directed Star Trek Beyond and the upcoming indie film, Last Days, which was partially financed by Reeves.Recommended VideosReeves created the BRZRKR comic and co-wrote the series, which was further refined by comic book scribe Matt Kindt and artist Ron Garney. The main character of the comic whose likeness was drawn to resemble Reeves is an immortal warrior known as B who has lived 80,000 years. B is half-human and half-god, and cursed with a drive for violence beyond any mortal mans comprehension. In the present, B works for the U.S. government to tackle the most dangerous situations while searching for answers about his origin and for a way to end his eternal suffering.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe BRZRKR comic was one of the best-selling titles in years, with over 600,000 copies printed for the first issue alone on the strength of the series connection to Reeves. Through subsequent comics and reprints, Boom! Studios has reportedly sold over 3.5 million copies of the story worldwide.Tomlin is also writing a BRZRKR anime series, which is still in production. Its unclear if the BRZRKR film and the anime will tie into each other or if they will be separate adaptations of the same story.Editors Recommendations

SpaceX launched its mighty Starship rocket for the eighth time last week. The mission was a bit of mixed bag, with the team successfully catching the first-stage Super Heavy booster on its return to the launchpad, but losing the Starship spacecraft in a midair explosion minutes after stage separation. The Elon Musk-led spaceflight company is now looking into what went wrong.After each Starship test, SpaceX usually releases video clips showing the missions key moments. On Sunday, it shared some extraordinary footage (below) captured from below the booster as it launched from SpaceXs Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The slowed-down video shows the rockets 33 Raptor engines firing up as the enormous 120-meter-tall vehicle leaves the launchpad.Recommended VideosView under the launch mount as Super Heavy's 33 Raptor engines ignite on Starship's eighth flight test pic.twitter.com/WRCazkhyXs SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 9, 2025Please enable Javascript to view this contentWith the rocket pumping out a colossal 17 million pounds of thrust, its hard to fathom how the camera that captured the footage managed to stay intact. But stay intact it did.SpaceX hasnt revealed how it achieved the feat, but in the comments below the footage, someone asked Xs AI assistant, Grok, how the the footage was captured from such a seemingly vulnerable spot. The chatbot responded: High-speed cameras under the launch mount capture the ignition of Super Heavys 33 Raptor engines. Theyre mounted on reinforced structures, shielded from heat and debris, and use advanced telemetry to transmit footage in real-time. SpaceX has perfected this tech for jaw-dropping views like Starships eighth flight test.Capturing a close-up of the worlds most powerful rocket from this angle is all the more remarkable when you consider how the launchpad disintegrated when it was blasted by the Starships rocket engines on its maiden launch in April 2023.For the second flight test, SpaceX engineers designed a more robust and secure launchpad able to handle the incredible force generated by the Raptor engines as the Starship lifted off.Once testing of the rocket is complete, NASA and SpaceX will use the Starship rocket to carry crew and cargo to the lunar surface, and possibly to Mars, too.Editors Recommendations

2025-03-09T23:24:21Z Read in app President Donald Trump said that the US economy will face a "transition" over his tariffs. Megan Varner/Getty Images This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? President Donald Trump downplayed fears of an economic recession in a Fox News interview.Trump said that the US economy will face a "period of transition" while it adjusts to his tariffs.Economists predict Trump's tariffs may increase inflation without boosting US manufacturing.President Donald Trump downplayed economic uncertainty over his tariffs, saying a "period of transition" is headed for the US economy as it adjusts. But he notably did not rule out a recession in the near future.Trump paused his 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada earlier this week, just after they went into effect. In an interview on the Fox News show "Sunday Morning Futures," Trump said he paused his planned tariffs on Mexico and Canada to help American car manufacturers and "to a certain extent," to help both countries. Trump paused the tariffs until April 2."I wanted to help the American car makers until April 2," Trump said on Fox. "April 2, it becomes all reciprocal. What they charge us, we charge them."After a strong start to the year, the stock market has seen significant volatility in recent weeks. This week, the market saw considerable uncertainty, with the S&P 500 down as much as 2% on Thursday following tariff concerns.Still, Trump downplayed fears over a possible recession in the Fox interview. When asked if he expected a recession in 2025, Trump responded: "I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition, because what we're doing is very big. We're bringing wealth back to America.""It takes a little time," he added.Trump also avoided questions about providing clarity for publicly owned businesses about how his tariffs could disrupt the economy."They have plenty of clarity," he said. "They just use that. That's like, almost a sound bite. They always say that, 'we want clarity,'" Trump told Fox about business asking for economic clarity.Trump paused tariffs impacting US auto manufacturers on March 5 after Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors called the president requesting a reprieve. When pressed by Fox about what "automakers are going to do for a month" while the tariffs are paused, Trump said that this is a "transition period.""I said, 'look, I'm going to do it this one time, but after that, I'm not doing it,'" Trump told Fox. "They called me and they wanted help during this little transition period, and I gave it to them."Economists are still grappling with the impact of Trump's tariffs, which some economists say will increase inflation. Some analysts say that Trump's tariffs will not help increase manufacturing in the United States."Tariffs will not increase US manufacturing: technology, rather than trade, has been primarily responsible for the fifty-year decline in manufacturing jobs," John Veroneau, a former deputy US trade representative, wrote in a February 11 post on the Council on Foreign Relations website.

2025-03-09T23:03:10Z Read in app Mariah Davenport and Dane Siler saw flaming debris out their plane window from the SpaceX Starship explosion. Courtesy of Mariah Davenport and Dane Siler. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? SpaceX's Starship exploded after its latest launch to space, causing flight diversions and viral videos.The Federal Aviation Administration closed Florida airspace after the SpaceX incident.A previous Starship explosion in January also caused debris over the Caribbean.Mariah Davenport and Dane Siler were over an hour into their flight when they saw it: flaming debris out their window.The young couple, both college students in Wisconsin, told Business Insider that they were heading back to the US on Thursday from the Dominican Republic where they had been vacationing in Punta Cana.Siler said the Frontier pilot had warned them that the flight from the Dominican Republic to Chicago might take a little longer because of a diversion in the flight path due to the SpaceX Starship launch Thursday night.However, they were surprised when, not yet midway through the flight, they heard the pilot make an announcement."He said, 'If you look to your right, one of the rockets just blew up,'" Siler said. "I'm like, what? So then we looked through a window, and that's when I grabbed my phone and recorded it."A video of the flaming debris that Davenport posted on TikTok went viral, accruing over 12 million views in a matter of days.SpaceX's Starship spun out of control shortly after its launch and exploded as it reached space. The Federal Aviation Administration closed the airspace over much of Florida after the incident and issued a temporary ground stop at several airports.The explosion comes a month after a Starship exploded during a test flight in January and rained debris down over the Caribbean,"We thought it was cool," Siler said. "We didn't think we were in any danger, and then 20 minutes later, he told us that we were going to have to go back to Punta Cana, so that was another hour and a half."Davenport said she was unnerved when, after the plane had landed back in Punta Cana to refill on gas, she overheard a flight attendant mumble, "That was too close for comfort.""Hearing that was very frightening," Davenport said.The couple eventually made it home several hours later than planned.The FAA is investigating the incident.Frontier and SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a show full of unlikable people, it takes a special character to be the absolute, no-contest worst of the bunch. On White Lotuss season three, its without a doubt Greg (Jon Gries) a.k.a. Gary a.k.a. the not-so-grieving widower of season one and twos Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge). In a bit of a twist, Greg is the only character to appear on all three seasons of White Lotus, as he was reintroduced to viewers in the first episode of season three. Technically, hes not a guest at the resort. Having inherited Tanyas giant fortune, Greg now owns a luxurious house steps away from the White Lotus in Thailand. Hes also dating a model named Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) who slightly resents him, and is dating him for his wealth not unlike his own relationship to Tanya. Hes also going by the alias Gary, presumably because law enforcement is looking at Greg as a suspicious person in Tanyas death. White Lotus is an anthology series, following a different group of appalling rich people around a different lavish resort each season for a vacation that inevitably ends in someones death. Although the show has seen some characters return namely Tanya and Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), the saintly White Lotus Hawaii staffer who Tanya plied with promises of her own spa in season one it hasnt seemed to have (or been billed as having) a throughline narrative, until now. The problem for Gary is that Belinda just so happens to be at the Thai resort as part of an exchange program. She finally recognized Greg in episode three, but while she knew that he distracted their mutual patron from funding Belindas dream of owning her own business, she didnt yet know about Tanyas untimely demise or Gregs role in it. (Quick refresh: Greg employed a coterie of scamming homosexuals to have his wife killed, but ultimately she smacked her own head on the side of a boat while trying to jump to safety.) He denied theyd ever met (hes Gary after all), but in the seasons fourth episode, Belinda is up to speed thanks to a quick Google, and terrified. So is Greg. If Belinda exchanges enough information with authorities, she could shatter everything he worked to hide! Episode four picks up after Greg and Belindas face-to-face. He has a boat party to begrudgingly host, and shes preparing for her sons arrival. But they cant stop thinking of each other (negatively) and seem to be on a collision course. Now it seems more and more likely that the man who appeared to be nothing more than a side character/love interest in season one has, this whole time, been taking White Lotus fans on the familiar arc of a true crime romance scammer: seduction, violence, and the desperate struggle to not get caught. The customary White Lotus boat tripAs certain that the sun will rise tomorrow, the characters on White Lotus will get on a boat and have an awful time. In season one, Tanya scattered her mothers ashes in the Pacific Ocean (or attempted to) with newlyweds Rachel (Alexandra DAddario) and Shane (Jake Lacy) along for the ride. In season two, Tanya again found herself on a ship in the Mediterranean where she accidentally died after killing the rich gay guys who were trying to murder her. And, in season three, episode four, the White Lotus Thailands guests are at sea once more. With (presumably) Tanyas money, Greg has procured a yacht, and at Chloes behest invited the Ratliff family parents, children, and lorazepam stash as well as Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) and Rick (Walton Goggins) all spend a day aboard. Technically theyre all Gregs guests. But most everyone, including Greg, seems a bit miserable. The ship is full of older men and their much younger female company. As Chloe says, these old bald guys are all the same. Even on open water with champagne flowing, tension missing pills, inappropriate flirting, wrong-headed revenge plots, and some previous antipathy between the Ratliffs and the incredibly nervy Rick is unavoidable. It all goes back to the idea that no matter how rich you are and how many things you buy to throw at your problems, you can still absolutely hate the life you have. Everyone on this super yacht is miserable! Courtesy of Fabio Lovino/HBOAt the bar, Tim Ratliff (Jason Isaacs), the rapidly unspooling South Carolina businessman loaded on his wifes lorazepam and many, many midday drinks, wants to know about Gregs life in Thailand. When Tim asks if he likes it, Greg tells him, I never want to leave. That could be true, but with the police on the lookout, he also never can. Just heard someone say that anyone who moves to Thailand is either looking for something or hiding for something, Tim slurs.Neither, Greg tells him, I just got sick of the rat race.Greg is in a race of his own now, though. Finding him sitting alone on the upper deck, Chloe asks if she can take the boat to a different island to celebrate an upcoming full moon party. The man she calls Gary tells her she can take the boat without him, and she doesnt seem to care when he tells her, Theres something I gotta deal with at home. The something is Belinda. Back on land, Belinda spots Greg talking to the hotels grinning manager. From the look in his eye, she cant help but assume its her. She and Greg make brief eye contact. Later, in the sleek home Tanyas fortune bought, Greg looks at Belindas Instagram, examining pictures of her and her son. Given what we know about Gregs history of grifting and Tanyas eventual demise, it certainly cant be good for Belinda to be in his crosshairs.Is Greg going to kill Belinda?With Belinda knowing who Greg is and Greg knowing that Belinda knows about him and Tanya, it raises a very obvious question: Is Greg going to kill Belinda? And further, is Belinda the mystery person who dies in episode one?Many signs point to yes. Belinda seems to be the only person in Thailand who knows that Greg isnt Gary. Even if Belinda is intent on keeping quiet, Greg doesnt know that. It would seem like this man, who has no qualms about grifting and murder-for-hire, wouldnt think twice about finding a way to silence Belinda for good. Thats as clear a motive as we see on the show. But theres one absolutely huge reason why hes not the killer stalking the resort in the season opener shooting and killing Belinda wouldnt be his MO or beneficial to his endgame. The murder that we get a glimpse of in the beginning of the season is just too blatant for Greg to be the killer. The man is wanted in Italy, and the last thing he wants to do is draw even more attention himself. You know what draws attention? Repeatedly and wildly firing a gun at a luxury resort full of the richest people on earth. Theres a higher chance of Belinda using the gun in some kind of self-defense than Greg shooting her. Greg has also proven himself to be the type of guy who would not do the murdering himself. Back in season two when he went to Italy with Tanya, Greg actually left Tanya and let the evil gays (one of whom Greg had a previous relationship with) toy around with her. If Greg is going to off Belinda, hes going to figure out a way to do it without being directly involved. No doubt, the tension between Belinda and Greg is going to drive the rest of the season. Shes going to be cautious around him. Hes going to want to keep her close, close enough to sniff out how much she knows and whether or not shell snitch. Whats fascinating here is what a turn this is for the show, which usually tells contained stories. White Lotus has always been a work made up of closely observed character study (please see this seasons three quietly warring white women who have been friends since childhood). Since his first appearance in season one, though, Greg has been more than a bit of a cipher. Hes taciturn, hes reserved. Yes, hes angry, as he proved in season two when Tanya brought her assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) along on vacation, but hes fairly unknowable. We think he likes fly-fishing, and were pretty sure he worked at the Bureau of Land Management. What exactly was his relationship with Quentin (Tom Hollander)? Did he ever really have cancer, as he claimed when he met Tanya in Maui?Belinda is doing what any normal nosy person would do Courtesy of Fabio Lovino/HBOGreg also doesnt neatly fit into the shows class criticism. So many characters on the show are cartoonish, exaggerated versions of the one percent. They get away with spoiled entitlement, and impose themselves on places where common people are shut out. Gregs grift feels slightly different, but maybe more egregious heres a thief who is worse than the rich hes stealing from. Arranging Tanyas death and getting away with her fortune feels unjust. White Lotus is a show about personal unravelings, what these affluent people really look like when their money cant buy what they really need. But Greg is wound tight. He may be more desperate than ever, but there is no true sense of who this man is.Its only slowly and methodically, over years, that this show can let us into a character like Greg: a man who doesnt go on vacation to let go, who isnt there to relax or make friends, who is moving like a shark toward some longer-term, darker goal. Unlike the rest of our travelers, he doesnt indulge in self-exploration. Greg knows who he is. Its his job to make sure that no one else does. See More:

What date is Sony aiming for? (Sony/Metro)The Monday letters page thinks the Nintendo Switch 2 games line-up may be more predictable than it seems, as one reader looks forward to the RoboCop: Rogue City follow-up.To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.ukSecret launch titlesI see more stories about the release date of the next gen Xbox and 2026 is being talked about again as when its coming out. I guess that makes sense in terms of how bad the Xbox Series X/S is doing but I cant believe the PlayStation 6 is going to arrive so quickly.I know 2028 has been spoken about as a date in a Microsoft document, if I remember, during their Activision court case and that seems much more realistic to me. Sony isnt in nearly as much hurry as Microsoft to get things done but the PlayStation 6 has definitely peaked so 2028 seems like the logical option to me.I dont know what thats going to mean for Sonys games line-up, such as it is. Is Naughty Dogs Intergalactic game secretly a PlayStation 6 launch title? Will Wolverine be pushed back as well, to become a next gen game.Whatever happens I think we can guarantee several years of cross-gen games (i.e. PlayStation 5 and 6) once it does come out. They havent got enough games to go around now, let alone when they start trying to support a new console.GavinSame planWith all this talk about Donkey Kong, its going to be a disappointment if he doesnt have a new game out but I kind of doubt that it will be a launch game. I think Nintendo will be trying to follow the playbook from the original Switch as closely as possible, only with Mario Kart instead of Zelda, because those two things dont match up.Everything else does though, so Id expect Super Mario Donkey Kong, or whatever it is, in the autumn and Splatoon 4 before that. Probably a 1-2-Switch style tech demo at launch and then hopefully a new franchise too, equivalent to ARMS.Considering everyone says the Switch had one of the best launch line-ups ever and it was super successful it doesnt make sense to do anything different.AllegoHigher purchasePlayStation renting out consoles? Im not impressed. 11.99, I believe for a digital one if you sign up for two years. I got my Xbox Series X on launch for 18.99, if I remember correctly over, the same period. That came with two years of Game Pass and I could keep the console afterwards.Now, I know Xbox has struggled this gen but that was a day one offer when things looked more promising. That being said, I love my Xbox. I had a PlayStation 5 too but that was just to play the superb God Of War, then it was swiftly sold. Currently saving for a Switch 2.PhilGC: Youre talking about the Xbox All Access scheme, right?Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukOnce a decadeCouldnt agree more with Hammeriron. Ive played Call Of Duty from day one and for me, and a lot of my friends, they arent interested in it one bit anymore. Apart from the cheats, its always been the same. If you took any character from any Call Of Duty and dropped them into a different one you wouldnt notice any difference. Theyre all the same, just different skins.And as for companies hoping Rockstar charge 100 for GTA 6, so they can charge more, theyre bonkers. The unique thing about GTA now is it only comes out once every 10 years and In that time it has DLC all the time. With COD you get a year of free updates and two months after the last DLC theyre getting ready for a new game. Same with EA Sports charging 100.For GTA for 10 years, lets be honest, its a bargain, but companies hoping theyre able to jack up the price as well are out of their mind. I think publishers need two realise GTA is a class of its own and, lets be honest, other games just arent.DavidDouble upRoboCop: Rogue City was great, so I am definitely looking forward to a sequel/expansion, whatever it is. For me it is the best example of a so-called double-A game. A lot of the examples Ive seen before just look like cheap, low tech versions of something that already exists, but Rogue City looked great (for the most part, the human characters werent great) and it was using a licence that no one would spend a big budget on.The end result was a great adaption of the movies and also kind of weird and interesting too, because it could afford to take some unexpected directions and not have execs complaining that youre wasting hundreds of millions in budget. I assume its a success if its getting a follow-up, so I hope other companies go in the same direction.NilssonNormal behaviourIm playing through Aliens: Dark Descent and I like to check my trophies to see the percentage of people whove got them and all of the trophies on this game are rare.It seems a common theme on loads of games I play, where I pick up basic story progression trophies and its on like max 40%. I have a bad habit of starting games and coming back to them months later, but I cant imagine that being the norm I guess people just buy games and dont play them!Its bizarre.SimonPS: Im guessing you have seen the Alien Earth stuff and there is a Predator clicking on the latest releases. Im trying not to get my hopes up but the director of Romulus said how he would like to make it an Aliens Vs. Predator without advertising it, so Im hoping. Oh well, Im expecting to be massively disappointed in the summer! Anyway, keep up the good work always enjoy your stuff.GC: Thanks. Although when it comes to finishing games, that is the norm. Most people dont finish most games.Tom Clancys Call of DutySo the best tactical shooter of all time has been wasted by the franchise. We need Rainbow Six Vegas back. Rainbow Six Vegas 1 and 2 were the greatest tactical, competitive shooters of all time. SOCOM was good too.Call Of Duty, etc. are just run and gun scrub games. We need to bring back the old glory days of competitive gaming. Even older Rainbow Six games trump current Call Of Duties.ShaneUnfriendly rivalriesI too feel nostalgia for the old days of the Mega Drive vs. SNES and Xbox 360 vs. PlayStation 3. They were the two best console wars, in my opinion, for the reason the Readers Feature said: they brought out the best in both sides and everyone benefitted from the result.I guess console wars arent really a good thing in theory, but they seem to me like conspiracy theories. Remember when they actually used to be fun, even though they were nonsense, around the time The X-Files was big? Nowadays people actually believe the stuff and innocent people are being hurt because of it.Its probably the internets fault. Even in the Xbox 360 days it was a lot more basic back then and smartphones werent really a thing until the generation was almost over. Nowadays everyones complaining about everyone and everything 24 hours a day, so its no surprise things have got nastier and more serious.We still need healthy competition in order to push companies to do their best, but I think weve gone past the point at which we can have friendly rivalries anymore. People just havent got the mentality anymore, to not like something and to also not want to destroy it utterly.BensonInbox also-ransFor the reader praising Wreckfest and looking forward to the sequel, Id recommend Trail Out as a fantastic game while waiting. I got it for 12 recently and its excellent. Very similar in some ways but enough of its own identity thrown in too. Very good.PugmartinThat news about Chinese players being half of Steam was a bit of an eye-opener for me. I had no idea it was that many. Heck, I didnt know they even used Steam, I wouldve assumed they had their own alternative.TacleMore TrendingEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukThe small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Readers Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.You can also leave your comments below and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. 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What exactly is the next gen Xbox? (Microsoft)New details about the next gen Xbox suggest it has more in common with Valves Steam Machines concept than a traditional console.The Nintendo Switch 2 was officially unveiled in January, but it is not the only next gen console on the horizon. Sony has only vaguely hinted at the PlayStation 6 so far, but they have mentioned it, while Microsoft has made it very plain that theyre working on a next gen Xbox and a handheld device.Recent rumours suggested that Microsoft is aiming for a 2026 release date and that Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is being prepared as a launch game although itll still be multiformat on current gen consoles and, presumably, the Switch 2.Theres no guarantee that information is correct, but a new source has commented on the rumour and added their own insight on exactly what the next gen Xbox is intended to be.According to Windows Central editor Jez Corden the next gen Xbox is more likely to be aiming for 2027, rather than 2026, and he insists that the idea that developers already have devkits (modified consoles used to create games) is not accurate.He doesnt claim to know anything about Call Of Duty, and whether the Modern Warfare 4 rumour is true, but he implies that the lack of devkits would not be a problem either way.Corden describes the next gen Xbox as a PC in essence but with a TV friendly shell that also has a specific set of specs in mind.So as long as a developer knows the specs in question, they can develop any game and know that it will work on the new Xbox.Although all modern Xbox and PlayStation consoles are essentially a PC in a box, what Cordens describing sounds more like Valves failed Steam Machines line of branded consoles.Coincidentally, or not, there have been recent rumours that Valve is considering making a new game console-like device but there was also the suggestion last year that Microsoft will allow other hardware manufacturers to make next gen Xbox consoles to their specifications which, again, sounds very similar to Steam Machines.Given the poor performance of the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, delegating hardware construction to other companies does make some sense, even if Microsoft is still likely to make its own models as well.More TrendingHowever, given the Steam Machines concept has already failed once its unclear why Microsoft thinks it will work this time, even with the Xbox branding.The only detail that Microsoft has offered about its new format is that it will provide the largest technical leap gaming has ever seen.That claim has caused plenty of scepticism already but its certainly hard to imagine it being true if the new console is designed around existing PC technology. Although some have predicted that the technical leap in question will be related to AI and not hardware.Whatevers going on, Microsoft would need to start talking about the new format in detail this year, if its aiming for a 2026 release, so if we dont hear anything official by this summer then that will suggest theyre aiming for 2027 or later. Where does Microsofts handheld plans come into this? (Valve/Microsoft/Metro)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Razan Residence / Pargar Architecture and Design StudioSave this picture! Parham TaghioffApartmentsMehrshahr, IranArchitects: Pargar Architecture and Design StudioAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:3713 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Parham Taghioff Lead Architects: Behzad Heidari, Shirin Samadian More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The Razan residential building is located in the First Alley, Fourth West Street, on a 1375-square-meter plot. This three-story building consists of 12 residential units, carefully designed to balance privacy and community living. The basement level includes essential facilities such as parking spaces, storage rooms, a mechanical room, and caretaker accommodations. On the ground floor, the building features a spacious lobby area, a multipurpose hall, and a swimming pool complex, ensuring a high standard of comfort and convenience for the residents.Save this picture!The area where Razan is situated, Mehrshahr, is renowned for its villa-like urban fabric, where buildings are harmoniously integrated with lush green spaces. This unique characteristic has historically set the area apart from more densely urbanized districts. However, the growing trend of constructing apartment-style buildings in the region is gradually overshadowing this defining feature, which has long contributed to the neighborhood's charm and tranquility.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!In response to this urban shift, the design of the Razan building focuses on preserving and enhancing the villa-inspired atmosphere. The goal was to create residential units that foster a strong connection with the outdoor environment. Each unit has been designed with semi-open spaces, such as terraces or balconies, that offer residents a direct interaction with the surrounding greenery. These outdoor spaces not only provide a visual connection to nature but also enhance natural ventilation and daylight within the units, contributing to a healthier and more pleasant living environment.Save this picture!The building's facade reflects this approach, emphasizing a villa-inspired aesthetic that incorporates a variety of unit layouts. This diversity creates a dynamic composition while maintaining a unified overall design. The facade highlights the individuality of each unit, while still preserving harmony within the larger structure. Green elements have been integrated into the facade, reinforcing the building's connection with the natural surroundings and promoting sustainability.Save this picture!Razan serves as a response to the increasing urbanization of Mehrshahr. It offers a sustainable alternative that respects the area's distinctive identity and ensures that the community's cherished villa-like atmosphere remains intact. This project effectively balances modern living requirements with the preservation of the neighborhood's natural ambiance, making it a welcoming and harmonious space for its residents.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Mehrshahr, Karaj, IranLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on March 10, 2025Cite: "Razan Residence / Pargar Architecture and Design Studio" 09 Mar 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027532/razan-residence-pargar-architecture-and-design-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream