2025-03-14T14:02:16Z Read in app Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty Images This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Poland is one of Europe's fastest-growing economies.Its economy has continued to grow despite issues faced by its neighbors.Some experts put this down to what they call the Polish "entrepreneurial gene."Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk took a leaf out of President Donald Trump's book last month, turning to a controversial entrepreneur for support as he pushed for deregulation to help boost the economy.Presenting his government's economic plan in February, Tusk hailed "the moment when we can overtake everyone.""The light is visible from Poland," he said. "A breakthrough year means investment, investment, and yet more investment."Tusk also took the opportunity to announce measures to deregulate the economy, calling on the eccentric Polish businessman Rafa Brzoska to help."Do you accept?" Tusk publicly asked the billionaire.Brzoska the founder of the parcel locker business InPost, and one of Poland's richest people accepted Tusk's challenge, emphasizing that he had no political aspirations but that he intended to present 300 recommendations by June 1.Poland is already one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe. Some experts say exports, consumer behavior, and a well-trained, flexible labor force are the key drivers behind its growth.For others, however, it's the Polish "entrepreneurial gene." Rafa Brzoska. Mateusz Wlodarczyk/NurPhoto via Getty Images Entrepreneurship in PolandThis so-called "entrepreneurial gene" was on full display in 2024, with more than 353,000 new businesses launched in Poland. The country is also one of Europe's hardest-working nations based on average hours worked per week.Polish workers are "above all, hard-working, well-educated and highly qualified," Krzysztof Inglot, a labor market expert, said, adding that they often rise quickly through company ranks.He said this had a lot to do with what he called the "entrepreneurial gene," which he said had been carved out under the years of communist rule."We jokingly say that Poles are entrepreneurial, that construction workers will always try to find an easier solution to a situation. This is what makes us different from other nations, who often work according to standardized and identical rules. In contrast, we still have this tendency to look for alternative solutions and simplifications," Inglot continued.Marcin Wojewdka, an expert in labor law and the president of the Pension Institute, agreed, saying Poles could "move mountains" when motivated and able to see the "quick effects of our actions.""This is not about the proverbial Polish plumber in Western Europe, but precisely about courage and the willingness to take risks if the reward is attractive enough. Poles, perhaps due to the historical experience of our ancestors, are able to grit their teeth, focus on the task at hand, and often even take shortcuts to achieve the desired result," he said.One such entrepreneur is Kamil Hagemajer, who runs a chain of milk bars in Warsaw, the Polish capital, and Wroclaw, in western Poland.Known as a "bar mleczny" in Polish, a milk bar is a low-cost caf that dates back to the communist era."We currently have 20 bars and employ about 200 people," Hagemajer said, adding that he believed the entrepreneurial gene was the Poles' "dominant trait.""You could see it in the communist years when the first businesses were born in markets or when people took small cars to transport sweaters or jeans from other countries and sell them in Poland as there were no such products in our country."Looking ahead, Hagemajer said Polish business owners were ready to embrace modern technology to work more efficiently but that they still faced administrative and tax obstacles."This means that we have to rely on the knowledge of external companies, which often means that we lose authority over our businesses," he said.Poland's economy is growing despite issues faced by its neighborsAccording to some forecasts, Poland's GDP growth will hit 3.5% this year, up from 2.9% in 2024. By comparison, the German economy is expected to grow by 0.2% this year according to a January forecast from the German Central Bank."Poland is developing faster than Western European countries, and we can count on one hand the years when this was not the case. For various reasons, it is easier for less developed countries to grow quickly and thus catch up in terms of their development," Piotr Bartkiewicz, an economist at Bank Pekao, said.A large part of the German economy has been focused on the production of traditional combustion-engine vehicles. But strong competition from China and other countries has led to a slump in car sales. High taxes, bureaucracy, and rapidly rising labor costs have compounded the issue, with the German economy not seeing significant growth in five years.Such issues have potential knock-on effects for Poland."Germany is our largest trading partner, accounting for 27% of Polish exports. Exports to the next countries on the list are over four times less. Therefore, German stagnation is a serious problem for exporters, even if they increase their market share in other countries and look for new sales markets," Grzegorz Ogonek, an economist at Santander Bank Polska, said.Poland is also facing the potential impacts of an aging population something the country's Minister for Senior Policy, Marzena Oka-Drewnowicz, said would be "a great challenge" moving forward."We need to be open to new technologies. The labor resources in Poland are steadily shrinking, despite an influx of immigrants, which does not help economic growth," Ogonek added.3 reasons the Polish economy is growingDespite such headwinds, the Polish economy has kept growing, with economists pointing to three key driving forces.Firstly, Polish exporters are finding new niches in foreign markets and are competitive despite increasing labor costs and the strengthening of the Polish zloty (PLN)."The EU is, of course, the largest market for Poland, but not the only one. In the macroeconomic data, we see an increase in exports to other markets, such as Asia, the Middle East, or North America. Polish exports are also diversified and cover a wide range of products, including food products," Bartkiewicz said.Polish consumers were also less affected by the energy crisis and increased inflation. Despite relatively high inflation, the decline in real household income in Poland was one of the smallest in the EU due to fiscal stimulation and high wage growth.As a result, there was a moderate decline in private consumer spending, as well as a faster return to growth and more regular consumer patterns a process that is only just beginning in other parts of Europe.Thirdly, relatively high public investments (financed, among other sources, by EU funds) have been an additional catalyst."This last factor will be crucial in 2025," Bartkiewicz said.It is this balance between exports, domestic consumption, and investments financed by EU funds that seems to be allowing the Polish economy to grow."Regardless of what is happening in the global economy, one branch of our economy is always working," said Marcin Klucznik, senior advisor in the global economy team at the Polish Economic Institute. Read the original article on Fakt. Copyright 2025.

In a 2019 speech at Georgetown University, Mark Zuckerberg made a bold statement. Rather than to help college kids get dates, he claimed, Facebook was invented as a platform for free expression. Six short years later, Zuckerbergs company is trying to muzzle yet another whistleblower one who happens to have written a book full of alleged anecdotes about him and fellow Facebook executives that arent just embarrassing but also politically damning.Sarah Wynn-Williams, the whistleblower and author, was a director of global policy at Facebook from 2011 until 2017, when she was fired. The book came out on March 11 and is called Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism, a reference to The Great Gatsby, which refers to its wealthy characters as careless people who smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money. The analogy is not subtle, and neither are the allegations Wynn-Williams makes about her former bosses, including Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Facebook, and Zuckerberg himself.Meta took legal action against Wynn-Williams last week, arguing that she violated a nondisparagement agreement she signed when she was a Facebook employee. An arbitrator ruled in Metas favor on Wednesday, instructing Wynn-Williams to stop promoting the book and amplifying any further disparaging, critical or otherwise detrimental comments. The books publisher, Flatiron Books, and its parent company, Macmillan Publishers, were not part of the arbitration case, and the book remains on sale.Among the more salacious claims Wynn-Williams makes in the book are that Sandberg once allegedly made her assistant buy $13,000 worth of lingerie for both Sandberg and the assistant. And on a trip home from Davos, Sandberg took the only bed on the plane, and then allegedly told Wynn-Williams, who was visibly pregnant at the time, to come to bed with her. Things get darker from there. Joel Kaplan, who was vice president of global policy and Wynn-Williams boss, allegedly did several inappropriate things around this time, including but not limited to telling Wynn-Williams that she looked sultry. When Wynn-Williams reported that she couldnt work while on maternity leave because she was still bleeding from surgery, Kaplan allegedly asked where she was bleeding from. Wynn-Williams reported Kaplan for sexual harassment, and Meta said it conducted a lengthy investigation, including interviews with 17 witness, that cleared Kaplan. Zuckerberg comes off looking bad, too, based on early reviews and reporting on the books allegations. NBC News sums up what Wynn-Williams claimed about the Facebook co-founder, now Meta CEO, thusly: His belief that Andrew Jackson was the greatest American president, his interest in collecting wine from the Jackson era in the 1830s, his desire to have a tribe of children and his professed ignorance that Facebook employees were letting him win at the board game Settlers of Catan. All these personal details frankly look quaint compared to what Wynn-Williams has to share about Facebooks attempts to enter China. Under Zuckerbergs leadership, the company was prepared to do almost anything to shut down dissent and comply with the Chinese Communist Partys censorship rules in order to gain access to the countrys billion-plus potential users, according to the book, as well as a 78-page whistleblower complaint that Wynn-Williams filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. According to the complaint, Facebook even planned to employ a chief editor to take down unacceptable posts and to share all user data with the Chinese government. Wynn-Williams also alleges that Zuckerberg later told an incomplete version of the truth about its China plan effort to Congress. A Meta spokesperson told Vox that details of its plan to enter China were widely reported beginning a decade ago.Meta does not like that whistleblower complaint or this book. The company said in a statement to Vox that the book contains a mix of out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives and that Wynn-Williams was fired for poor performance and toxic behavior. Meta also claims that Wynn-Williams has been paid by anti-Facebook activists.Getting lawyers involved in a nondisparagement agreement dispute and book banning are not the same thing, but its still not a great look for a self-professed free speech champion, like Mark Zuckerberg. This is the same tech executive who, just a couple weeks before Donald Trumps second inauguration, announced that his platforms were doing away with fact-checking in favor of community notes in the interest of promoting free expression. That new feature launches next week, by the way, with the help of some open source technology from Elon Musks X.See More:

The US and Canada are meant to be the best of friends, but theyre in the midst of a pretty ugly fight. It began with President Donald Trumps ascent to the White House, when he began referring to his outgoing Canadian counterpart as Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada. Things escalated from there, with heated meetings and calls leading to the US enacting (then retracting, then enacting, then retracting) tariffs on its northern neighbor, and Canada responding in kind.Province leaders got in on the action as well, perhaps most notably Ontario Premier Doug Ford: If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, he said early on in the tariff saber-rattling, I will do everything including cut off their energy with a smile on my face. This week, he took steps to make good on that threat, announcing a 25 percent tax on electricity exports to New York, Minnesota, and Michigan. The US responded by promising to increase tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50 percent. That led to both sides reversing course, and a fresh round of ongoing talks. (Though Trump maintained on Thursday that Canada only works as a state.)I wanted a firsthand account of how all this is affecting normal Canadians and Canadian politics. So I dialed up Voxs Zack Beauchamp, who lives in Canada, to get the scoop. Zack told me that Canadians are angry just out-of-this-world angry about what the United States is doing to them. Heres what else he had to say. (Our conversation was edited for length and clarity). Whats going on in Canada right now? Well, for over a century, the US-Canadian border has been one of, if not the, most peaceful borders in the entire world. There have been extremely strong relations between the two countries and extremely tight economic ties between them. For a long time, its been extremely easy to travel back and forth between the United States and Canada. Even before NAFTA, there was open trade for some goods. Theres a way in which the economies are so intertwined that its not crazy to think about Canada and the US as having a broadly integrated economic system, even if its totally wrong to call Canada the 51st state. Ill give you an example. The US is a big farm country. Canada is too. Farming requires fertilizer, and the US imports 80 percent of its potash an important fertilizer from Canada. Then it sells some of the products that it grows back to Canada. When I go to the grocery store, I often find Product of the USA and Product of Canada in the produce aisle.By putting tariffs on agricultural products on both sides, youre making things more expensive in multiple ways. The potash becomes more expensive to import, which also means that farmers have to pay more. It also means consumers in the United States have to pay more, and so do Canadians, because Canadas putting reciprocal tariffs on the United States. So not only are goods more expensive to begin with, but Canadian tariffs on American imports would make my groceries more expensive.By going after this very tight economic integration, Trump is likely to wreak havoc on both economies, but especially the Canadians.The tariffs on various goods threaten one of the foundations of the Canadian economy, which is trade with its much larger southern neighbor. Now, its not like Canada will collapse all of a sudden, but the country will experience pretty significant pain if its having trouble exporting or importing from the US. With the caveat that theres a lot of back-and-forth on this, can you tell us a bit more about whats going on with the tariffs? I can, but I dont know how much good it will do by the time this gets published! But right now [as of late Thursday, March 13], were at a pause because of both sides backing down. Earlier this week, the premier of Ontario the Canadian equivalent of a governor threatened to put significant export taxes on electricity sent to the United States, which would basically jack up electrical prices for Americans. Trump threatened some significant tariffs and retaliation. He got really mad. They both sort of backed down. Lots of other tariff-related negotiations are going on. And though all this changes constantly, meaning, again, this unfortunately may not be the case when people read this, but the next big date is April 2, which is when the next round of American tariffs on Canadian-related goods will go into effect. Canada doesnt want to be the aggressor. What Canadians say, and that includes all sorts of different politicians, is that they want the Americans to stop doing this, because economic warfare isnt helping anybody. Essentially, We want our things to go back to the way they were, but you keep threatening us, and so we have no choice but to fight back. The Canadian position is this is a defensive form of economic warfare, and theyre right to be clear. Trump started this for no reason. And I mean no reason. There was no justification given that makes any sense. Our own Eric Levitz wrote a piece looking at Trumps various different justifications, and they contradict each other. Lets explore that a bit. Its a mystery what Trump wants from all this? I truly dont know what Trump wants, and Im not sure Trump knows. After the election, Trump made some comments about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau being Governor Trudeau. And at first they seemed like jokes, like, Hahaha, Canada, right? Its small America, just the sort of thing Canadians hate, but Americans engage in sometimes. It was insulting but ultimately harmless. But it seems somewhere along the way, inside Trumps head, this went from being a joke that he made to insult and bully somebody into a serious thing that he actually wanted, to the point where he began to link it explicitly to harmful policies.And now you have Trudeau saying and this is the official line of the Canadian government as well that Trump is trying to bully us into becoming part of the US. I just didnt believe Trump would do that at first, because its so stupid. It doesnt make any sense. The United States, for all of its power, does not have the capacity to force Canada to become part of America through economic coercion. That would require an invasion or require war, and thats not happening, right? Trump is not going to invade Canada. (Though if he does, and I eat my words, I will be next speaking to you from the front lines of the Battle of Windsor/Detroit.)The only way it makes sense to me is to think of Trump as a mad king. Like the archetype from fantasy literature, who just starts ordering his subjects to do all sorts of crazy things that dont make any sense in real life. I think Trump somehow got it in his head that it would be really cool if Canada was part of the US. It would be great. It would make him look awesome.I cant make any sense out of it otherwise. The relationship between the US and Canada prior to Trump, was as good as any two countries that live next to each other could hope to be right, nearly open trade, no threat of war. Theres literally a bridge that you drive over from Buffalo called the Peace Bridge.And all of a sudden, Trump has antagonized the Canadians for no discernible purpose, and disrupted what was the most peaceful and mutually beneficial border on Earth.Of course, theres the explanation that this is all a negotiating stance, and that Trump wants to seem crazy. I find that ridiculous at this point, because its not clear what negotiating benefits were supposed to be attaining. What can Canada give the US? I dont know, and from what I understand, the US hasnt articulated anything privately, other than, You can make it stop when you become the 51st state.Tell me more about how that 51st state rhetoric is playing in Canada.Everything Trump has said and done has led to a level of rage and defiance that I think very few Americans fully appreciate.People hear that 51st state stuff, and say, America is literally attempting to annex us. Theyre trying to coerce us into becoming Americans. And we hate that. Yesterday, I was walking around my neighborhood, and there were three shops in a row on the main drag in my neighborhood, and every single one of them listed the Canadian-made goods that they were selling. Theres a widespread boycott of American-related goods here in Ontario, which is not only Canadas largest province, but where state-run liquor stores have a semi-monopoly on alcohol sales. And they have taken all American-made products out of those stores. Thats a government initiative, not a citizen boycott. Theres both: Consumers dont want to buy American goods, and the government is limiting access to certain American goods. Liang Sen/Xinhua via Getty ImagesOntario is currently governed by a Conservative government, one that you would think would have more ideological affinities with the Trumpers. The fact that theyve been so aggressive is demonstrative of where public opinion is in Canada.Canadians are so insulted, so infuriated because they have their own real sense of nationhood. One of the pillars of Canadian national identity is being not American, is that Canada is different from the other country near them. To say You should just become part of the US is to assail one of the foundations of what makes Canada Canada. Being so infuriated has led to a backlash against the United States and against the Trump administration, unlike anything in recent memory, dwarfing even the anti-Americanism you saw in Canada during the Bush administration around the Iraq War.So all this is making Canadians very angry. Whats it doing to Canadian politics?Its transforming Canadian politics. Ive never seen anything like this. So to back up, Justin Trudeau, the outgoing prime minister, and his Liberal Party have been in power for a really long time.On Friday, hes stepping aside in favor of Mark Carney, his successor at the top of the Liberal Party. It was widely thought that the Liberals were done, that Trudeau would resign, there would be a new Liberal prime minister for a little bit until Canada has elections, and then the Conservative Party, which is their main rival, would end up winning the elections and be in charge because Trudeau was very, very unpopular as leaders tend to be after 10 years in power.All of a sudden, though, the polling dramatically reversed. What had been a consistent Conservative lead for years became almost a dead heat over the past week or so.Trudeau stepping down is part of that. But it really is about America for two reasons. First, people like the way that the Liberals have handled the United States. Trudeau and the rest of the Liberal Party have been defiant, aggressive, willing to push back, not giving any ground, calling on Canadians to stand together and stand up for their country in the face of American bullying. And thats been hugely popular. Trudeaus approval rating is still negative, but its gone up by 10 points, which is striking. Second, the Conservative Party made a choice to elevate a guy named Pierre Poilievre to leadership. Poilievre is about as close to a Trump-style conservative, as you can get in Canada. Hes not a danger to Canadian democracy in the same way that Trumps a danger to American democracy, and hes less right-wing on a lot of issues, including some big cultural war ones. But he has a penchant for a kind of aggressive policy rhetoric and conspiracy theorizing to the point where hes developed a bit of a fan club among American conservatives, who praise him. That may have seemed like an asset for Poilievre at one time, certainly in his primary race. But now being close to the US or American-style in any way is like a death sentence in Canadian politics. The US government is the one whos literally trying to destroy your country. Its not helpful if youre seen as somebody who cant stand up to the Americans.Its not that Poilievre hasnt been trying. Hes been making statements about how hes willing to push back on the US. But the Liberals are seen as the much more naturally antagonistic party against a Republican-led United States. Now what was once a shoo-in election for the Conservatives is now a toss-up. And if trends continue, it may even turn into a Liberal favorite election, but that will take some time.Are we seeing something of a long-term reorientation in US-Canada relations here?There are two ways to think about it, both of which could be equally valid. The first one is one that Ive heard from European diplomats and the people who talk to them: One Trump term can be dismissed as a fluke, but two Trump terms suggest that the United States might be like this in the future. That is, every four years you have the possibility of facing an antagonistic, aggressive right-wing, nationalist government that wants to bully you and undermine the foundations of your shared diplomatic relationship.If you take that view that Trump is just what the Republican Party is, and we need to readjust our politics around the fact that America might often be like this that would lead to a long-term strategic reevaluation of the relationship and a transformation of what the nature of the US-Canadian border is going to look like, what trade is going to look like, what economic ties between the two countries are going to look like. The second school of thought is that thats all really costly. The relationship takes a lot of work to change, and thered be a lot of short- and long-term pain. The US-Canada relationship developed as it did for a reason. Geographic proximity makes it easy to trade, and it makes sense that these big markets with different climates that can grow different crops and easily support different industries would cooperate. It is a naturally congenial economic and political relationship. It would be to everyones detriment if the politics were more hostile.So it might be that you start seeing a policy that acknowledges the long-term risks and takes some steps to ameliorate them, while attempting to leave the door open for a return to the pre-Trump status quo.Those schools of thought arent mutually exclusive, and you can see elements of both in a Canadian strategy. What I can say for sure is the odds that there will be some kind of political or economic rupture between the US and Canada that lasts decades into the future have gone up substantially just over the course of the past few months.This piece originally ran in the Today, Explained newsletter. For more stories like this, sign up here.See More:

Its easy to feel a bit beset by doom these days. The other week, I watched the heinous AI-generated Trump Gaza video and was so appalled that I impulse-bought a kayaking guide book. It felt like the only sane response was to take to the water and paddle away.Video games are a reliable antidote to existential doom, but layoffs, corporate homogenisation and AI slop are all encroaching on my safe haven, making it more difficult to get a brief reprieve from whats happening in the outside world. Thank God, then, for the Bafta games awards nominations, which reliably remind me that video games are pretty great, actually.The 2025 picks were announced last week (right after my newsletter deadline, as longtime readers will know is now tradition). In my opinion, Baftas event is the classiest and least commercial of the gaming awards shows, and its judging panels, with a mix of video game industry professionals and specialists from Baftas membership and beyond, usually come out with the broadest range of picks. I always see a lot of what I personally love about video games in these nominations: their sheer creative variation and vivacity. (Disclosure: over the years Ive been involved with these judging panels in various capacities, but not in 2025.)The eligibility period runs from November 2023 to November 2024, so there are no nominations for the superb Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. (I feel so sorry for great games that come out in December.) One of my favourites I played made the cut: A Highland Song, a magical-realist game about running through the Scottish mountains, is up for best British game, alongside another Scottish-set game called Still Wakes the Deep, a cosmic horror thriller set on a North Sea oil rig. Yorkshire-ish comedy Thank Goodness Youre Here! is also up for this award, as are Lego Horizon Adventures, Paper Trail and Hellblade II.Hellblade II is actually the most-nominated game overall, appearing in 11 categories. Still Wakes the Deep, meanwhile, appeared in eight, and Thank Goodness Youre Here in seven. If I may be allowed some very mild patriotism, Britains games industry should be very proud of its output last year, which was overall a horrid one for those working in the business of play.Personal fave Neva, a game about a warrior and her wolf, is nominated for an artistic achievement award. Photograph: nevaDelightfully, Thank Goodness Youre Here! made it into the best game category with Astro Bot, Black Myth: Wukong, Balatro, Helldivers 2, and Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, a game that I liked less, apparently, than almost everyone else. There are a bunch of big games here in various categories, but what I like about the Baftas is that indie games arent relegated to their own specific category: they appear everywhere, resulting in an enjoyably unpredictable slate. The stop-motion submarine puppet adventure game Harold Halibut and the warrior-and-wolf environmentalist action game Neva (a personal fave) are up for the artistic achievement award, next to big titles including Astro Bot and Wukong.The ambiguously named games beyond entertainment category is always my favourite to peruse, partly because of the nebulous definition: these are all games with some kind of message or intended wider meaning. We have Kind Words, in which you send nice messages to strangers or send your worries out into the world. Theres Botany Manor, about exploring the home of a Victorian botanist. Tales of Kenzera: Zau was informed by its directors grief after the death of his father. Tetris Forever is a fascinating interactive documentary about the block-arranging game, and an insight into a wild period of video game history. Hellblade is in there, too, presumably because of its portrayal of living with psychosis. And then theres Vampire Therapist, in which you are a cowboy talking the immortal undead through their emotional baggage. I had never heard of this game, and will be downloading it forthwith.Last years awards were so comprehensively dominated by Baldurs Gate 3 that the show lacked its usual propensity for surprises, but a lot of the categories this year are much tighter. The show is on 8 April at 7pm BST, hosted once again by comedian Phil Wang, and pretty much everything on this list of nominations would be a worthy winner. That said: if the gloriously clever and maximalist role-playing game Metaphor: ReFantazio doesnt win best narrative, Ill be fumin.What to playWanderstop. Photograph: Ivy Road/AnnapurnaWanderstop is game is about a formerly fearsome warrior forced to slow the heck down and run a whimsical tea shop in a fantasy forest, and she is not happy about it. Its also a game about burnout. Co-written by Davey Wreden (The Stanley Parable, The Beginners Guide) and Karla Zimonja (Gone Home), it will speak to anyone who has ever overinvested in their work and found the meaning suddenly stripped from their life when they can no longer work like they used to. (No idea what youre talking about.)Available on: PS5, Xbox, PCEstimated playtime: 10 hoursWhat to readA landmark for explorable 3D game worlds The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, from 1998. Photograph: NintendoInspired by a Bafta survey, I asked a bunch of interesting and distinguished people for their most influential video game of all time. No two people picked the same game. Most of their selections were so brilliantly esoteric that I felt distinctly boring for picking something relatively predictable.Sony has been experimenting with AI-powered game characters: an AI version of Aloy from Horizon was leaked to the Verge, talking to the player in a synthesised voice. Important reminder: Horizon is a story about how greedy technocrats destroyed the earth with the help of AI.Theres a new official trailer for The Last of Us season two, with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay returning as heroes Joel and Ellie. Those of us who have played the game will know there is, uh, plenty the trailer doesnt show And speaking of trailers, theres a 10-minute (yes, 10) trailer for Death Stranding 2, which will be released on 26 June. Being a Hideo Kojima game, it looks equal parts creative, confusing and utterly bonkers.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Pushing ButtonsFree weekly newsletterKeza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gamingPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionWhat to clickQuestion BlockTrigger warning for vegetarians Monster Hunter: World. Photograph: CapcomReader Robin provides this weeks question:Heres a question I cant get out of my head: how can you play Monster Hunter!? Im not squeamish at all but I could barely get through a training session, which involved hurting a harmless creature trapped in an arena I was disgusted and my son was horrified. Then some innocent creature lay dying and I was pulling silly faces and taking photos of the poor thing as it breathed its last. And if Monster Hunter didnt do it for you, what has prompted you to walk away from a game?This is such a valid question! I was vegetarian for 12 years and yet throughout, I happily cut down majestic creatures in Monster Hunter and felt proud of my achievements. I am so fascinated by this dichotomy that I wrote a whole article about it when Monster Hunter: World came out in 2018. Forgive me for quoting myself, but heres what I wrote:One of the functions of fantasy violence, whether in Monster Hunter or Game of Thrones, is to prompt reflection on the role that violence plays in the real world and in human nature. Monster Hunter might involve killing, but it also restores humans to the hierarchy of the natural world Perhaps spending hours of my leisure time pretending to be a hunter-gatherer-warrior is an outlet for the slavering carnivore within.I am not vegetarian any more, but I fully acknowledge the dissonance between respecting and admiring these incredible virtual creatures and then killing them to make fancy helmets. The latest game does a lot of cognitive somersaulting in its story to try to make out that killing these dangerous beasts is noble because we do it to protect people and the ecosystem. But on a base level, were doing it because its fun, and that is pretty gross on one level. On another: its fantasy. With absolutely no judgment towards fans of first-person shooters, I am personally more comfortable with killing virtual dragons than killing virtual people.On to the second part of your question: one moment in Grand Theft Auto V made me so uncomfortable that I had to fetch my partner to play through the scene for me. A scene in the story that involves a hillbilly psycho capturing and torturing a guy who is Middle Eastern. You have no choice but to actively participate, and it made me feel nauseated. Its obviously intended to be satirical commentary on the US governments immediate recourse to torture after 9/11, but it massively missed the mark for me.If youve got a question for Question Block or anything else to say about the newsletter hit reply or email us on pushingbuttons@theguardian.com.

Doom is on rip-roaring form (Bethesda)A modern revival of a classic has been reduced to an astronomically cheap price, ahead of a new entry in the series later this year.If you were listing the most influential first person shooters in video game history, 1993s Doom would unquestionably be top of the list.The game popularised the entire genre and has been iterated upon with various sequels since, but its relevance with modern audiences was given a fresh rip and tear in 2016s Doom by original developer id Software.This modern refresh of Doom is now cheaper than ever on Steam at just 1.59. Thats so cheap, its less than a McDonalds double cheeseburger and practically every beverage at Starbucks.This price is only available until Thursday, March 20, so you may have to act fast. If you fancy picking up the entire Doom saga, including its sequel Doom Eternal and all the retro classics, theres also a Doom Anthology bundle which is 74% off at 21.64.If youre on console, unfortunately the cheapest way to play Doom is through a subscription to Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus Extra. The game is available to buy on PlayStation and Xbox at 15.99, and on Nintendo Switch for 16.99, although it is often discounted.If youre on PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5, you can also pick up the Doom Eternal Deluxe Edition, which includes the brutal Ancient Ones DLC, for only 14.99 as part of a PlayStation Store sale.More TrendingThe sequel is an even better game, with improved variety and a more complex story.This is all necessary homework for the upcoming sequel Doom: The Dark Ages, which is technically a prequel to 2016s Doom. The new game looks set to switch up the combat with less emphasis on platforming and more on blocking with a shield in its techno-medieval setting.Doom: The Dark Ages is set to launch across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 15, 2025. Do your homework for the Dark Ages (Microsoft)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

Looking for a single solution to your year-round air quality and temperature needs? The Dyson Purifier Hot + Cool Gen 1 stands as one of the most versatile home appliances on the market, combining powerful air purification with heating and cooling capabilities in Dysons signature sleek design. This premium device has earned loyal fans for its ability to maintain comfortable, clean air regardless of the season, making it an investment in both comfort and health for any living space.Right now, the Dyson Purifier Hot + Cool Gen 1 is available for just $400, down from its regular price of $530. This exceptional $130 discount represents a 25% savings on a premium appliance that rarely sees significant markdowns. For anyone whos been eyeing Dysons air treatment technology, this represents an ideal opportunity to purchase at a substantially reduced price.See at AmazonWarm up or cool down with this handy Dyson applianceThe unit features Dysons revolutionary Air Multiplier technology, which efficiently circulates purified air throughout your entire room. Unlike traditional fans that create choppy airflow, this system delivers a smooth, consistent stream of clean air, ensuring every corner of your space benefits from its purification capabilities.One of the Purifier Hot + Cools greatest strengths is its versatility across seasons. During winter months, it functions as an efficient space heater, while in summer, it delivers refreshing cool air. This dual functionality eliminates the need for separate seasonal appliances, saving both money and storage space in your home.Control comes easy with the included curved, magnetized remote that attaches neatly to the machine for safekeeping when not in use. While this first-generation model doesnt offer app compatibility, its straightforward controls provide all essential functions without unnecessary complexity.For customized comfort, the device offers 350 oscillation to distribute air widely, along with programmable auto-off timers at 1, 2, 4, and 8-hour intervals. These features allow you to set and forget the purifier according to your schedule and preferences.The fully sealed HEPA filtration system ensures that once pollutants are captured, they remain trapped inside the machine rather than being released back into your air. This medical-grade filtration makes a noticeable difference for allergy sufferers and those concerned about indoor air quality.Light sleepers will appreciate the dedicated Night mode, which operates using the quietest settings while automatically dimming the display. This thoughtful feature ensures your sleep remains undisturbed while still benefiting from purified air throughout the night.At $400, this Dyson represents significant value for a premium air treatment system that delivers year-round benefits with the brands renowned engineering quality. The 25% discount makes this an ideal time to upgrade your homes air quality and temperature control in one elegant solution.See at Amazon

Today, Crunchyroll announced it will exclusively stream Gachiakuta, a series manga readers have long heralded as the next big shonen series. The anime will premiere on the streamer in July. Gachiakuta, written and drawn by Kei Urana alongside graffiti artist Hideyoshi Andou, is a dystopian action fantasy series first published in Kodanshas Weekly Shonen Magazine in 2022. It follows Rudo, an outcast slumming it off of the richs garbage. After being framed for murder, he is discarded from a decadent floating city into a bottomless abyss called The Pitt. His ultimate goal is to return to the floating city and exact revenge on the people who threw him away like trashthe only obstacle in his path is the wastelands brutal, Mad Max-esque raiders and kaiju scattered throughout The Pit. Much like how the strength of devils in Chainsaw Man increases in proportion to humanitys fear of the concepts they embodysuch as guns and bloodGachiakutas power system enables Rudo to transform objects that he and those close to him value into all-powerful weapons. Weapons Rudo hopes will aid him in taming the wastelands and actualizing his revenge. It certainly takes a lot of chutzpa and confidence points on Crunchyrolls part to predict that Gachiakuta will surely be shonen animes next big series. But looking at the all-star team behind the show, its hard not to believe the hype. Gachiakuta will be produced by My Hero Academia studio Bones andhelmed by first-time director Fumihiko Suganuma (chief episode director and storyboard artist on Train to the End of the World). Hiroshi Seko, who previously worked on Dan Da Dan, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan Final Season, and Mob Psycho 100, will be the animes screenwriter. Satoshi Ishino (Date A Live and Tokyo Mew Mew New) will be the series character designer and chief animation director. Taku Iwasaki (Bungo Stray Dogs, Shin Kamen Rider) will be the animes composer.Gachiakuta stands out as one of the most unique shonen anime in recent years, blending intense action with a striking artistic style, Crunchyroll chief content officer Asa Suehira wrote in a press release. Crunchyroll is proud to partner with Kodansha and Bones Film to bring this exciting new story to fans worldwide, exclusively to the Crunchyroll streaming service. When Im writing the scripts for Gachiakuta, it makes me want to blast my music. It makes me want to go out and have some fun. And it gives me the urge to meet up with my work buddies and friends for a good meal, Seko said. An anime that makes you feel that way is the best. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.I hope the passion that Gachiakuta inspires reaches all of you! As you watch the animated Gachiakuta, I hope everyone feels the same spark of motivation! Andou added. I hope this anime stays in your soul! Im looking forward to watching the Gachiakuta anime together with you all! Urana wrote. The state of shonen anime is in a bit of a questionable period, with big marquee shows like Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia circling their respective finales, leaving a huge gap to fill in their wake. Heres hoping the studio behind hit series like My Hero Academia, Mob Psycho 100, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood will cook up an anime adaptation thatll make Gachiakuta live up to the hype. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Stones Water Light / Christoph Hesse ArchitectsSave this picture! Laurian GhinitoiuArchitects: Christoph Hesse ArchitectsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:1500 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:Laurian Ghinitoiu, Michael Meschede Lead Architects: Christoph Hesse, Yvonne Wagner More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Visitor Centre Stones Water Light at Lake Edersee - The Stones Water Light visitor centre at Lake Edersee, Germany, offers both locals and visitors an open cultural space that fosters a balance between social and ecological sustainability. Located directly adjacent to the UNESCO-listed Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, the centre is designed as a venue for exploring regenerative thinking and action while also honoring the region's rich history.Save this picture!Save this picture!A Strong Connection to the Edersee Dam. At the heart of the visitor centre's concept is its strong connection to the Edersee dam, an iconic structure deeply embedded in the local community's identity. The dam symbolizes the region's transformation from a poor rural area into a nationally significant destination and holds a vivid history - from its construction during the imperial era 100 years ago, its destruction and reconstruction during World War II, to its present-day role as a hub for green energy production and a key landmark in the natural and cultural landscape.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Architectural Concept: A Symbolic Cut Through the Dam. The architectural design of Stones Water Light is inspired by a symbolic section cut through the dam, mirroring its form and revealing hidden inner spaces shaped by tunnels and shafts. The visitor centre acts as a physical and conceptual link between the central square of the village of Edersee and the dam itself, reinforcing its historical and cultural significance. The tower-like structure rises above the landscape, offering visitors panoramic views of the lake and dam. A large window in the foyer creates a visual connection to the dam, seamlessly integrating it into the interior experience.Save this picture!Save this picture!A Multi-Layered Visitor Experience. The ground floor and outdoor areas serve as community spaces, fostering gathering, education, and cultural exchange. Inside, visitors are guided through an open and seamlessly connected spatial experience, leading them to an information and lounge area before descending to the lower-level museum space. Here, an immersive light installation brings the dam's vivid history to life, allowing guests to engage with its past in an atmospheric way. The walkable rooftop further enhances the experience, offering different viewpoints that showcase not only the dam but also the surrounding natural landscape.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!A Place for Reflection, Learning, and Connection. The Stones Water Light visitor centre offers a multi-layered experience - a space for learning, contemplation, and connection with people, nature, and history. Through its design and location, the centre reaffirms the cultural and ecological significance of Lake Edersee, ensuring its story continues to inspire future generations. Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Edersee, GermanyLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on March 14, 2025Cite: "Stones Water Light / Christoph Hesse Architects" 14 Mar 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027732/stones-water-light-christoph-hesse-architects&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

AIAISC25 - AIA International Spring Conference: Trailblazing ArchitectureArchitecture continues to push boundaries, redefine expectations, and inspire through innovation. Trailblazing Architecture highlights the groundbreaking ideas, transformative technologies, and pioneering approaches shaping the future of our built environment. From sustainable design solutions to adaptive reuse, and from advanced technologies to equity-driven practices, architects are leading the way in addressing complex global challenges. This conference aims to spotlight the diverse ways professionals worldwide are reshaping our industry, imagining new possibilities, and influencing a brighter future for all. Join us for a global discussion on how architects are embracing bold strategies to redefine the limits of design and construction! This 3-day virtual conference will bring you lectures, panel discussions, building tours and more from around the world. Conference sessions will be hosted by the 7 International Chapters in Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, the Middle East, Shanghai, and the United Kingdom, the International Sections in Latin America, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Taipei and more of our members worldwide! Attendance is free and open to all, whether you are an AIA member or not. This year, registrants can choose to add a donation to support our work. As a non-profit organization, all funds raised will go directly towards ongoing AIA International initiatives, including the delivery of the Spring Conference. Sessions will be available on demand following the conference day. AIA members can receive CES credits for participating live, or for watching on demand. We are thrilled to bring you an array of speakers who are helping to move the profession forward. They include Chris Lepine, Director at Zaha Hadid Architects, Heath May, FAIA, Partner and Executive Vice President at HKS and James Richrd, FAIA of Richard Kennedy Architects. This event is organised by AIA International and we reserve the right based on reasonable assessment of the circumstances to exclude individuals who display unprofessional or disruptive behaviour. AIA International, its programmers and moderators can and will select those questions and comments they deem pertinent to the talk and program.TitleAIAISC25 - AIA International Spring Conference: Trailblazing ArchitectureTypeConferenceWebsitehttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/aia-international-spring-conference-2025-trailblazing-architecture-tickets-827338550877?aff=oddtdtcreatorOrganizersAIA InternationalFromMarch 20, 2025 09:59 AMUntilMarch 22, 2025 10:00 AMVenueOnlineAddressOnlineThis event was submitted by an ArchDaily user. If you'd like to submit an event, please use our "Submit a Event" form. The views expressed in announcements submitted by ArchDaily users do not necessarily reflect the views of ArchDaily.Cite: "AIAISC25 - AIA International Spring Conference: Trailblazing Architecture" 14 Mar 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027998/aiaisc25-aia-international-spring-conference-trailblazing-architecture&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

The Cevaton 15.6 Laptop Triple Screen Extender, with its multiple configurations, is a versatile productivity accessory provided it is compatible with your laptop.This screen extender is a novel idea. Its adjustable metal frame lets you position your laptop between twin screens. The adaptable monitor stand can be contorted into various positions to meet almost any workplace or home office need.The design options provide 11 screen orientations, including stacked, single-screen, and folding modes. Beyond the traditional side-by-side setup, options include landscape and portrait modes. More modes exist depending on whether you need to view one or both added displays in vertical or horizontal orientations.Yet another user scenario lets you mirror an image across two or all three mirrored screens. This trick is handy, as you can display a mirrored image in vertical or horizontal orientation while you work on a third panel to read related text or create content. You no longer need to use two separate computers as a workaround solution.Other configuration modes let you mount the two extended monitors back-to-back to view one screen while others sit across a conference table to share their own view. Arranging the two extender monitors atop the laptop screen gives you a long-form view from top to bottom.The Cevaton 15.6 Laptop Screen Extender offers multiple configurations, including stacked, single-screen, and folding modes for versatile display setups.(Image Credit: Cevaton)All of these combinations have viewing angle schemes based on 90-degree vertical rotation and 235-degree horizontal rotation, a multi-function configuration button, and dual speakers in each monitor. These options surpass traditional dual-monitor setups, which often require multiple video card ports or docking stations.Setup Challenges and Cable CompatibilityMy two workplace desktop computers are tethered to secondary monitors. Once set up, cables remain connected for trouble-free use. Similarly, my cadre of laptops and tablets with much smaller screens are paired with a single portable laptop-sized secondary monitor.An optional power plug and an HDMI cable are all that is required for a speedy grab-and-go connection. For specialized projects, I endure the hassle of attaching two laptop secondary screens via a docking station, as most laptops can only handle a two-screen setup.So, the ability to add matching laptop monitors with connecting cables sans a third-party docking device is an enticing proposition. The setback occurs when the cables Cevaton supplies are unsuitable for every variation of ports built into laptops.Cable Limitations and WorkaroundsThe Cevaton monitors have the same combination of ports: two fully functional USB-C ports and one HDMI port. Depending on the laptop, setting up the connections is not simple plug-and-play.The manufacturer includes two cables, one with a standard HDMI plug (for the laptop connection) and one with a mini-plug (for the extended monitor). A pair of included USB Type-C cables is provided for laptops without HDMI support.Also included is a set of cables with a USB Type-A plug on one end and a fully USB Type-C plug on the other end. This cable and plug combination can solve connection issues, provided the laptop supports fully functional Type-C features. On some of my gear, the device only had one HDMI or other suitable port, leaving nowhere to connect the second Cevaton screen. In oddball cases, the connectors fit, but some glitch in the OS circuitry prevented the video signal from reaching the additional monitors.I found that trial and error often was the only way to resolve a setup issue. Potential snags include matching a Type-C USB to a Display Port (DP) connection or HDMI with a USB-Type B or Type-C port. I even ran into a case where the only USB Type-A port and cable combination did not handle video signals well.Some situations may require more than one type of cable and connector. For instance, a USB-A cable will also be needed to power the screen extender when connecting with HDMI. A separate power plug is not included.Troubleshooting Connection IssuesConnection issues on some laptops resulted from different hardware specs. I have numerous test laptops, ranging in age and hardware specs.Unfortunately, video and audio ports and plugs are not as standardized as USB type A/B/C, which guarantees plug-and-play. On some laptops, I could connect only one monitor.The tiny power button on the monitors doubles as the brightness and contrast adjustment control. It is sensitive to finger movement, which can sometimes cause the brightness control to be too low, making the monitor appear not to be working. The trick is to long press the power button for five seconds to reset the screen brightness.Product FeaturesThe 15.6 portable monitors each weigh 2.1 pounds. The metal frame and rotating arms add several more pounds. The entire setup is easily carried in an included bag.A circular connector attaches to the extender monitors at the end of each supporting arm that slides onto the frame. The foldable metal frame provides 235-degree rotation. The standing frame for the dual monitors opens/closes to accommodate 13 to 17.3 laptops.The monitors deliver 120% sRGB FHD IPS 1080P with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 Pixels, providing a wider view with more vivid colors and a more comfortable viewing experience.Multi-function keys let you customize settings such as brightness, volume, contrast, and other parameters for each screen according to your preferences.Pricing and Device CompatibilityThe Cevaton 15.6 Laptop Triple Screen Extender was initially listed on Cevatons website for $500 and reduced to $399. It is currently listed on Amazon for $299.These portable monitors are compatible with Windows, Android, and ChromeOS devices, as well as MacBooks with the M1/M2/M3 Pro or Max chips but not with the entry-level M1/M2/M3 chips. They also work with Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox.The Cevaton website provides more detailed laptop listings and can be used to confirm if the product is compatible with your laptop model.Bottom LineCevatons dual monitor extensions are an unusual product that offers more use-case solutions than many people need. The frame and connectors are very sturdy and easy to assemble, disassemble, and carry with your laptop.If you confirm that your computer is compatible before purchasing, you should not have difficulties connecting both monitors.Is there a tech product or application youd like to suggest for review? Something you love or would like to get to know?Email your ideas to me, and Ill consider them for a future column.And use the Reader Comments feature below to provide your input!