Slayven Never read a comic in his life Moderator Oct 25, 2017 102,377 First things i turn off, even before i start playing. They are distracting at best, and a waste of GPU/CPU cycles at worst.   Kyrios Member Oct 27, 2017 19,085 Film grain is one of the first things I look for in the Options to turn off, if available lol   Bonefish Member Oct 28, 2017 5,099 all dogshit. also that dumb lens effect they did in star wars outlaws and MHworld (im sure buncha others had it). At least Outlaws patched a way to turn that off.   ann3nova. Member Oct 27, 2017 2,546 I'm cool with motion blur.   Shoichi Member Jan 10, 2018 12,489 I turn all those off the moment I have access to visual options in any game I play   RoKKeR Member Oct 25, 2017 17,115 Motion blur when done right = 100% yes. The others (+chromatic aberration) = no.   Grenlento Member Dec 6, 2023 1,822 They aren't that taxing on resources nowadays right? But yeah, I also turn all that stuff off if I can. I'm also a monster & turn off AA if I can lol  Lylo Member Oct 25, 2017 3,582 No, no and no. Edit: also, the biggest of "no's" for chromatic aberration.  Vincent Grayson Member Oct 27, 2017 7,382 Mount Airy, MD Motion blur seems like the odd one out here, IMO. Film grain just adds absolutely nothing. Bloom might be good in theory but it sure seems like we've improved on what "bloom" was doing at this point. But motion blur makes total sense to me.   MR2 Member Apr 14, 2022 1,367 I'm not bothered enough to turn them off.   xir Member Oct 27, 2017 15,383 Los Angeles, CA Yes No Yes  texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,488 Indonesia No to motion blur and film grain, I always turn them off. Bloom, in the other hand, depends on the implementation and its intensity. Modern bloom is much better than what we saw in PS360 era.  OP OP Slayven Never read a comic in his life Moderator Oct 25, 2017 102,377 RoKKeR said: Motion blur when done right = 100% yes. The others (+chromatic aberration) = no. Click to expand... Click to shrink... i knew i was missing one   Duxxy3 Member Oct 27, 2017 24,801 USA I generally turn off motion blur as a start. Film grain and bloom I typically leave alone, unless it really looks wrong   Hasney One Winged Slayer The Fallen Oct 25, 2017 23,266 Immediately turning them all off when I can, as well as Chromatic Abberation   Wrexis Member Nov 4, 2017 29,482 The last time I left film grain on in a game was Mass Effect 2007.   Outtrigger888 Member Oct 27, 2017 2,664 I shut off chromatic aberration and film grain. I'm cool with motion blur though.   platypotamus Member Oct 25, 2017 10,052 I just have my PC autodetect if I'm on there, and if I'm on a console I dont even look at visual settings unless I need some colorblind fix and didnt find it elsewhere. Tbh I dunno what bloom even is.   RedSwirl Member Oct 25, 2017 10,729 I don't even mind chromatic aberration unless it's really egregious. And I actually prefer leaving motion blur on, especially if it's per-object motion blur.   Sadnarav Member Nov 6, 2019 994 I usually turn them off when I have the option, specially after I bought Final Fantasy Type-0 HD on launch and it had such intense motion blur that moving the camera gave me headaches, so I've never played it past the very start   Rizific Member Oct 27, 2017 6,322 All turned off before starting the game. Really not a fan of purposely shitting up my image quality.   Reinhard Member Oct 27, 2017 7,200 Never with chromatic aberration and film grain. Motion blur is good when per object motion blur, but I don't like motion blur in general.   Roubjon Member Oct 25, 2017 3,089 I like all of it, yeah.   LossAversion The Merchant of ERA Member Oct 28, 2017 11,696 Motion blur can really help at 30fps if it's implemented well but even at 40fps it becomes way less appealing. At 60fps or higher it hurts more than it helps. Film grain... I don't know, I usually just turn it off because it's either not noticeable at all or too noticeable. I have a soft spot for bloom. It can be really effective at adding a bit of whimsy like with the original Oblivion. Chromatic aberration is usually not my cup of tea but there are some games where it worked for me. Sue me, I liked it in Bloodborne. I cannot fucking stand vignettes and it actually killed my desire to play The Witcher 3 because the PS4 version got patched at some point to make the vignetting super dark and distracting with no way to turn it off.  MinerArcaniner Uncle Works at Nintendo Member Oct 29, 2017 7,451 Motion blur is case-by-case. Bloom and film grain can fuck off into the sun.  blazinglazers Prophet of Truth Member Oct 27, 2017 304 Los Angeles As a console player, yeah I fucking love it. Well done motion blur helps the "feel" of 30fps dramatically. Subtle film grain and lens effects can add up to an immersive "cinematic" aesthetic. Of course, all of these things can be abused... but that goes for everything.  Rippa Member Feb 15, 2018 1,343 I'm all for artist vision. If it's on then I don't mind it. If it's off, I won't turn it on.  Uhyve Member Oct 25, 2017 1,290 I stream alot of games from my gaming PC to my bedroom media-ish PC, so I usually disable film grain because I assume it'd hurt compression. Not sure if that's a real thing though, wonder if they do the same by default on streaming services. Otherwise, assuming they aren't horrible implementations, I don't mind any of those effects.  nolifebr Member Sep 1, 2018 12,633 Curitiba/BR No problem with any of those.   SoftTaur Member Oct 25, 2017 688 A very small amount of motion blur can be fine. Everything else is distracting at best.   selfnoise Member Oct 25, 2017 1,555 I don't think I have ever actually seen film grain in a game, I can't tell the difference on or off. Motion blur CAN be good, but it seems like it's always implemented in a stupid way. Bloom feels like kind of a last-gen thing? I guess Veilguard had it. It's fine.  UraMallas Member Nov 1, 2017 24,478 United States Roubjon said: I like all of it, yeah. Click to expand... Click to shrink... At the very least I don't mind it.   hydruxo ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 25, 2017 22,739 Motion blur is alright sometimes, but I turn off bloom and film grain immediately   RPGsandFGCs Member Jun 30, 2024 1,095 California I sometimes leave bloom on, but motion blur is off 100% of the time and film grain is off 95% of the time. I don't fuck with motion blur.  Bear Member Oct 25, 2017 12,314 They're all going off instantly.   Spaggy Member Oct 26, 2017 778 I kinda like film grain, but I'll turn it down to 50% or so if possible. It depends on the game and the look they're going for, but usually I'll turn down those visual settings rather than completely off. Same with camera bob/sway - I'll turn that down to 20% if I can.   secretanchitman One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 9,901 Chicago, IL Hate all of those annoying post-processing effects and I turn (or mod) them off instantly. Give me a clean and native image every time!  J75 Member Sep 29, 2018 7,880 Digital Foundry does lol   Lant_War Classic Anus Game The Fallen Jul 14, 2018 25,288 I like motion blur if well implemented. If you're playing at 60fps or under it helps a fair bit to smooth out the image. CA and film grain depends on the implementation and what the game is going for. Generally I leave them on though unless it's absurdly intrusive  Boopers Member Nov 1, 2020 4,354 Vermont usa I think it's neat!   AppleMIX Prophet of Truth Member Oct 27, 2017 1,851 Nope, auto turn off. Same with chromatic aberration.   contextura Member May 27, 2023 15 Depends on the look the game is going for I guess. Like something like the last of us 2 just looks kind of plain without that added post-processing to give it that filmic look it's going for. But if I'm playing something more inherently gamey then I'll turn them off if they're too obtrusive (also motion blur has to be turned off if I'm using frame gen which creates a kind of motion blur of its own).   RaySpencer Member Oct 27, 2017 5,795 I love them all of they are used well for artistic style. What I hate is all the dithering I see from upscaling in all these games.  TeenageFBI One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 11,332 RoKKeR said: Motion blur when done right = 100% yes. The others (+chromatic aberration) = no. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Chromatic aberration can absolutely be done right, but very few devs show that kind of restraint. It's a good effect to use when taking damage in certain games. Or it could show up when simulating a shitty security camera readout. Or maybe it could only appear as you approach a dangerous/lethal area. I always liked the effect in Teleglitch: View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLycSlqVQIU  pioneer Member May 31, 2022 7,297 I love film grain when it's done well. Blue and bloom I don't feel strongly about, but generally some is nice but often I find them overdone.   IceBear Member Nov 20, 2017 1,297 I tend to keep bloom and film grain on as I assumed those are part of the artists' intended vision on how a game should look like. As for motion blur, it depends. It stays on for console 30fps and off if I can hit 60fps on PC.   Eidan AVALANCHE Avenger Oct 30, 2017 9,860 I have no problem with any of them.   inkblot Member Mar 27, 2024 1,091 ✅ Motion Blur ❌ Film Grain  srtrestre One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 19,503 I turn all these off. Also throw in chromatic aberration somewhere in there   Dest Has seen more 10s than EA ever will Coward Jun 4, 2018 16,048 Work motion blur is the first thing i turn off in a game, if i can. the other stuff.... depends on the implementation. can be good.  

In this article:See more ▼Post may contain affiliate links which give us commissions at no cost to you.When you’re racing down the highway at 80 mph, you’ve got about 3 seconds to grab someone’s attention with your billboard. In those crucial moments, your font choice can make or break your entire advertising campaign. As a designer who’s worked on countless outdoor advertising campaigns, I can tell you that billboard fonts are a completely different beast from what works on your laptop screen. What looks stunning in your design software might be completely illegible from 500 feet away. Billboard typography isn’t just about being big and bold—though that certainly helps. It’s about creating maximum impact with minimal reading time, ensuring your message cuts through visual noise, and making split-second connections with drivers who are focused on the road. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the art and science of billboard fonts. From the towering sans-serifs that dominate Times Square to the custom letterforms that make brands unforgettable, we’ll break down exactly what makes a font work at highway speeds. 👋 Psst... Did you know you can get unlimited downloads of 59,000+ fonts and millions of other creative assets for just $16.95/mo? Learn more »The Ultimate Collection of Billboard-Ready Fonts Not all fonts are created equal when it comes to outdoor advertising. I’ve compiled the most effective billboard fonts that deliver maximum readability and impact from distances that matter. Here are the champions: METZLER METZLER is a minimal sans-serif typeface that embodies simplicity and clarity. Its clean lines and balanced proportions make it ideal for modern design projects, especially in digital environments where readability is crucial.Qualivite Qualivite is a bold serif font that combines vintage charm with contemporary flair. Its strong character and elegant serifs make it perfect for creating impactful headlines and adding a touch of sophistication to design projects.Get 300+ Fonts for FREEEnter your email to download our 100% free "Font Lover's Bundle". For commercial & personal use. No royalties. No fees. No attribution. 100% free to use anywhere. Carientz Carientz is a modern, minimal, and bold sans-serif font that exudes confidence and strength. Its clean, geometric shapes and thick strokes make it an excellent choice for branding, logos, and striking headlines in contemporary designs.Glofin Glofin is a modern and soft bold font that bridges the gap between vintage and contemporary styles. Its rounded edges and bold presence create a friendly yet impactful impression, suitable for a wide range of design applications.RNS Guaire RNS Guaire is a modern and elegant sans-serif font that exudes sophistication. Its refined lines and balanced proportions make it perfect for high-end branding, editorial design, and projects that require a touch of class.Space Space is a minimalist sans-serif font that embraces simplicity and functionality. Its clean, uncluttered design makes it highly legible and versatile, ideal for modern web design, user interfaces, and minimalist branding projects.Lonzies Lonzies is a display sans-serif font with a soft bold style that uniquely combines Christmas and graffiti influences. Its playful yet bold character makes it suitable for creating eye-catching headlines and designs with a urban, festive twist.Boldy Grotesque Boldy Grotesque is a condensed sans-serif font that embodies minimalism and strength. Its narrow letterforms, similar to the popular font Impact, and clean lines make it excellent for creating impactful headlines and efficient use of space in various design contexts.Harlet Harlet is a modern sans-serif font designed with headlines and fashion in mind. Its sleek, contemporary appearance and balanced proportions make it perfect for creating stylish designs in fashion magazines, posters, and branding materials.Alaska Alaska is an adventure-inspired sans-serif typeface that combines minimalism with a nostalgic feel. Its clean lines and subtle vintage touches make it ideal for outdoor-themed designs, travel branding, and projects that aim to evoke a sense of exploration.NORD NORD is a minimal display typeface designed for headlines and logos. Its clean, geometric forms and versatile character make it an excellent choice for modern branding projects, creating impactful headlines, and designing memorable logos.MARXURE MARXURE is a bold headline typeface with a modern edge. Its strong presence and contemporary design make it perfect for creating attention-grabbing headlines in web design, posters, and other media where impact is crucial.Girast Girast is a modern condensed font that combines boldness with efficiency. Its narrow letterforms and contemporary style make it ideal for designs where space is at a premium, such as in packaging, posters, and responsive web design.Bondie Slab Bondie Slab is a condensed slab serif font that combines strength with elegance. Its sturdy serifs and narrow proportions make it excellent for creating impactful headlines and adding a touch of sophistication to various design projects.Roadway Country Roadway Country is a sans-serif font inspired by highway and street signage. Its bold, clear design makes it highly legible and perfect for creating designs with a road trip theme or projects that require a strong, directional feel.JUST Sans JUST Sans is a clean, modern, and minimal geometric typeface. Its simple forms and balanced design make it highly versatile, suitable for a wide range of applications from branding to user interface design where clarity and simplicity are key.BERLIN Rounded BERLIN Rounded is a sans-serif display typeface featuring soft, rounded edges. Its friendly appearance and good readability make it ideal for creating welcoming designs, particularly in branding, packaging, and digital interfaces.CRUX CRUX is a minimal display typeface designed for headlines and logos. Its clean, geometric forms and distinctive character make it perfect for creating memorable branding elements and impactful headlines in modern design projects.Glacier Glacier is a clean and minimal font family that embodies simplicity and elegance. Its crisp lines and balanced proportions make it highly versatile, suitable for both body text and headlines in projects that prioritize clarity and modern aesthetics.Prinles Prinles is a bold font that exudes strength and confidence. Its thick strokes and solid presence make it ideal for creating powerful headlines, impactful logos, and designs that need to make a strong statement.Bensoud Bensoud is a sans-serif font that combines modern simplicity with subtle character. Its clean lines and balanced design make it versatile for various applications, from body text to headlines, especially in projects that require a contemporary yet approachable feel.Quicksed Quicksed is a condensed sans display font designed for efficiency and impact. Its narrow letterforms and clean design make it excellent for headlines, posters, and designs where space is limited but visual impact is crucial.Valeno Valeno is a decorative display font that blends sans-serif simplicity with subtle serif-like details. Its unique character makes it stand out in headlines and logos, perfect for creating distinctive branding and eye-catching designs.Pinnid Pinnid is a modern font that combines sans-serif and serif elements. Its hybrid nature gives it a unique character, making it versatile for various design applications, from contemporary branding to editorial design where a touch of sophistication is desired.Tactico Tactico is a bold font that blends vintage charm with modern boldness. Its strong presence and subtle retro touches make it ideal for creating impactful headlines, logos, and designs that need to combine strength with a hint of nostalgia.NOAH NOAH is a minimalist font that seamlessly blends sans-serif and serif styles. Its clean, versatile design makes it suitable for a wide range of applications, from body text to headlines, especially in projects that require a modern yet timeless aesthetic. What Makes a Font Billboard-Ready? Designing for billboards is like designing for the visually impaired—everything needs to be bigger, bolder, and more contrasted than you think. But there’s more nuance to it than just cranking up the size. Maximum Contrast is your best friend. Billboard fonts need thick strokes and generous white space. Think of fonts like Impact or Bebas Neue—letterforms that create strong silhouettes against any background. Thin, delicate fonts simply disappear at highway viewing distances. Wide Character Spacing prevents letters from bleeding together visually. What looks perfectly spaced on your monitor becomes an illegible blob from 300 feet away. Billboard fonts often feature naturally wide spacing, or you’ll need to manually increase tracking significantly. Simplified Letterforms eliminate visual confusion. Fancy serifs, decorative flourishes, and intricate details get lost in the distance. The most effective billboard fonts strip away everything non-essential, leaving only the core structure of each letter. Consistent Weight Distribution ensures every part of every letter maintains visibility. Fonts with extreme thick-to-thin variations might look elegant up close, but those delicate thin strokes vanish when viewed from afar. Size Matters: Typography at Scale Here’s something that might surprise you: the biggest billboard fonts aren’t necessarily the most readable. There’s actually a science to sizing typography for outdoor advertising. The rule of thumb? For every 10 feet of viewing distance, you need at least 1 inch of letter height. So if drivers will see your billboard from 250 feet away, your main headline needs to be at least 25 inches tall. But that’s just the starting point. Consider the viewing angle too. A billboard positioned perpendicular to traffic gets viewed straight-on, while one at an angle requires larger text to compensate for the distorted perspective. Highway billboards also need larger fonts than city billboards since viewing time is much shorter. Hierarchy becomes critical at billboard scale. Your main message might be 30 inches tall, but secondary information should drop to maybe 15 inches, and fine print shouldn’t go below 8 inches if you expect anyone to read it. Color and Contrast: The Billboard Font’s Best Friends Even the perfect billboard font can fail spectacularly with poor color choices. High contrast isn’t just recommended—it’s absolutely essential for highway visibility. Black on white remains the gold standard for readability, but it’s not always the most eye-catching combination. Dark blue on yellow, white on deep red, or black on bright yellow all deliver excellent contrast while adding visual punch. Avoid color combinations that create vibration effects—like red text on blue backgrounds—which become even more problematic when viewed through car windshields or in varying light conditions. Remember, your billboard needs to work in bright sunlight, during golden hour, and under streetlights. Background considerations matter enormously. A font that’s perfectly readable on a solid background might disappear when placed over a busy photograph or gradient. Many successful billboards use solid color blocks behind text to ensure consistent readability. The Psychology of Highway Typography Billboard fonts don’t just communicate words—they communicate emotions and brand personality in milliseconds. The psychology behind font choice becomes amplified when you’re designing for split-second attention spans. Sans-serif fonts dominate billboard advertising because they project modernity, clarity, and straightforwardness. Brands like Apple, Nike, and Google use clean sans-serifs on their billboards because these fonts align with their contemporary, no-nonsense brand personalities. Bold display fonts work when you want to project energy, excitement, or urgency. Think movie posters, event announcements, or retail sales promotions. These fonts scream for attention—literally and figuratively. Custom lettering helps brands stand out in a sea of standard fonts. Coca-Cola’s distinctive script, McDonald’s golden arches typography, or Disney’s magical letterforms are instantly recognizable from highway distances because they’re completely unique. Digital vs. Traditional Billboard Considerations The rise of digital billboards has changed the font game entirely. Static billboards have one shot to communicate your message, while digital boards can cycle through multiple messages, each with different typographic approaches. Digital billboards allow for animated text, which can help with readability—but it can also become distracting. Simple animations like fading in or sliding can help direct attention, while complex animations often reduce legibility. Digital displays also deal with pixel density limitations. Fonts that look crisp in print might appear pixelated or blurry on LED screens, especially when viewed from angles. Sans-serif fonts generally translate better to digital displays than serif fonts. Brightness and contrast work differently on digital billboards. These displays can achieve much higher contrast ratios than printed billboards, but they also compete with ambient light conditions that change throughout the day. Common Billboard Font Mistakes to Avoid I’ve seen enough billboard design disasters to fill a horror movie. Here are the most common mistakes that turn potentially effective advertising into roadside illegible art. Script fonts might look elegant in wedding invitations, but they’re billboard poison. Cursive letterforms, decorative swashes, and connecting characters become unreadable mush from highway distances. Save the scripts for intimate applications. Thin fonts simply vanish. What looks sophisticated and minimalist on your computer screen becomes invisible on the highway. If you wouldn’t use a font for an eye chart, don’t use it for a billboard. Too many fonts create visual chaos. Stick to one or two fonts maximum. Using three or more fonts on a billboard usually results in a confused, amateur-looking design that fails to communicate effectively. Insufficient contrast between text and background kills readability faster than anything else. That subtle gray text on white background might look trendy, but it’s useless for outdoor advertising. Industry Secrets from Billboard Designers After years in the outdoor advertising industry, I’ve picked up some insider knowledge about what really works for billboard typography. Test at distance before finalizing your design. Print out your billboard concept at a much smaller size and view it from across a large room. If you can’t read it easily from that distance, it won’t work on an actual billboard. Consider viewing conditions beyond just distance. Will drivers see your billboard while going uphill or downhill? Are there trees or buildings that might partially obstruct the view? These factors influence font size and placement decisions. Design for the worst-case scenario. If your billboard is readable during a rainstorm at dusk with dirty windshields, it’ll definitely work under optimal conditions. This usually means going bigger and bolder than your initial instincts suggest. Prioritize the primary message. Your billboard should communicate one main idea instantly. Supporting information can be smaller, but your core message needs to hit like a typographic freight train. The Future of Billboard Typography Billboard fonts continue evolving alongside technology and changing urban landscapes. Digital displays, augmented reality integration, and responsive outdoor advertising are reshaping how we think about highway typography. Variable fonts are starting to appear on digital billboards, allowing designs to adapt based on viewing distance, time of day, or even traffic speed. Imagine fonts that automatically adjust their weight and spacing based on current highway conditions. Interactive elements are becoming more common, with QR codes and social media handles requiring specific typographic treatment to remain scannable at highway speeds. Environmental consciousness is influencing font choices too. Some advertising companies are choosing fonts that require less ink or energy to display, proving that even typography can be sustainable. Making Your Billboard Font Choice Choosing the right font for your billboard campaign requires balancing readability, brand personality, and practical constraints. Start with your message and audience, then work backward to typography that serves both. Consider your brand first. A law firm and a music festival require completely different typographic approaches, even when advertising on the same highway. Your font choice should reinforce brand personality while maintaining highway-speed readability. Think about context. Urban billboards can often use slightly more complex fonts than rural highway signs because viewing distances are shorter and speeds are lower. Location matters as much as message. Test ruthlessly. The most beautiful font in the world is worthless if drivers can’t read your message. When in doubt, choose readability over artistry—your advertising budget depends on it. Billboard fonts represent typography at its most challenging and most impactful. These fonts don’t just carry messages—they deliver them at 70 mph, fighting for attention in a world of visual noise. Master the art of billboard typography, and you’ll master the art of communication itself. So the next time you’re cruising down the highway, pay attention to the fonts flying past your windshield. Notice which ones grab your attention and which ones blend into the background. That’s the difference between typography that works and typography that simply exists. Your billboard has seconds to make an impression. Make sure your font choice makes those seconds count.

The Influence of Font Size and Weight on Cognitive Load In this article:See more ▼Post may contain affiliate links which give us commissions at no cost to you.As designers, we obsess over kerning, color palettes and grids, but how often do we stop to consider how our typography choices may tax the readers’ brains? Lately, I have been thinking about cognitive load and how it comes into play with design. It turns out that font size and weight play a much bigger role in user comprehension than we assume. Whether building out a UI dashboard or setting editorial spreads, how you handle type can support the reader’s flow or trip them up. Therefore, it is vitally important to explore how font size and weight influence the way people engage with your work. 👋 Psst... Did you know you can get unlimited downloads of 59,000+ fonts and millions of other creative assets for just $16.95/mo? Learn more »What Is Cognitive Load? Cognitive load is the mental effort someone has to use to understand and retain information. When working on a design project, you are essentially deciding how easy or difficult it will be for someone to process what is in front of them. There are a few different types of cognitive load, but the one that you should ultimately focus on is the extraneous kind. This unnecessary strain comes from confusing layouts or clunky typography. The more noise you create visually, the harder it will be for a user’s brain to work to stay engaged. It is important to keep in mind how someone processes information, especially when designing for adults. Research shows that memory, attention and processing speed start declining around age 30 or earlier. Adding to the fact that the global population aged 60 and older will increase by 40% by 2050, it is clear that designing with cognitive ease is a must. The good news is that typography can lighten the cognitive load. When used intentionally, it can reduce mental friction and make it easier for users of all ages to take in and enjoy the content you create.Get 300+ Fonts for FREEEnter your email to download our 100% free "Font Lover's Bundle". For commercial & personal use. No royalties. No fees. No attribution. 100% free to use anywhere. Font Size and Its Cognitive Impact Readability is a critical factor in design, and font size is often the first thing that comes to mind because it directly affects how easily someone can make sense of the content. Type size has a significant impact on how the brain interprets information. Studies have found that individuals process font dimensions between 17 and 161 points more fluently than sizes outside that range. Text that is too small can slow down reading and increase visual strain. On the other hand, text that is too large can break up the natural flow and increase the load on an individual’s working memory. Fluency matters because it impacts the rate at which someone can read and comprehend the text. When readers can recognize words quickly and automatically, it frees up cognitive resources for understanding. This is where font size intersects with reading rhythm. A comfortable size allows for a natural pace, which gives the brain space to focus on meaning rather than mechanics. When inconsistent or poorly sized text interferes with rhythm, it creates mental friction that chips away at memory and understanding. Even if you reduce body text to fit more on a page, it can still have a measurable effect on how well readers soak in the information. The Role of Font Weight in Processing Font weight is a stylistic choice on the surface, but is also functional in how users take in information. The thickness of letterforms shapes how efficiently people process what they are reading. Heavier weights can draw attention and establish emphasis, especially in headlines, labels and calls to action. Yet, when used excessively, the boldness can overwhelm the eye, slow reading, and create visual fatigue. Conversely, lighter ones can feel refined and modern but may compromise legibility at smaller sizes or lower-contrast backgrounds. Font weight also impacts how the brain prioritizes information. When the hierarchy is clear, readers spend less time figuring out what to read first and more time absorbing the content. That reduction in decision-making lightens the cognitive load and improves flow. Attention span is another factor at play. More weight can signal importance or urgency, guiding focus when used appropriately. Boldness is often associated with strength and power, but you can lose that effect when everything is heavy. Considering these factors, it is essential to use it as a tool for guiding readers and supporting comprehension. The key is balance — using weight to create structure and flow on the page. The Interplay Between Font Size and Weight I often treat font size and weight as separate design variables, but balancing these elements becomes crucial when cognitive processing is at play. Consider a scenario where large, bold headlines dominate a page. While they may grab attention, they can overshadow the content and make it harder for readers to focus on the main message. The same goes for lightweight fonts of small sizes on mobile screens. Smartphones already have limited space to display text, so you must choose the right size carefully. Yet, if the font is too small, the reader ends up straining their eyes or trying to zoom in to see. In the meantime, their brain is trying to process what they should do while retaining the information at the same time, leading to quicker fatigue and reduced comprehension. In practice, achieving the right balance involves: Keep bold at a minimum: Use heavier weights sparingly and in contrast to regular body text to avoid visual competition. Avoid extremes in small text: Pair lighter ones only with larger font sizes, and keep small fonts bold enough to remain legible. Create consistent scale relationships: Establish a modular type scale where size and weight changes feel proportional and deliberate. Adjust for density and whitespace: Consider how the thickness and size affect line spacing and overall rhythm — too tight or loose can interrupt flow. Test with real content: Evaluate how each combination of fonts looks to you to ensure clarity and cohesion before hitting publish. Accessibility and Inclusivity Design is effective when it works for as many people as possible, and typography is still a large part of that. Roughly 16% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability, including visual impairments, cognitive processing challenges and reading disorders. That means people may engage with your content differently from what you expect. That is where clarity, contrast and adaptability become fundamental. For instance, the Bureau of Internet Accessibility recommends using at least 12-point type for body text and no smaller than 9-point type. However, larger sizes may be more suitable, depending on the format and context. Otherwise, text that dips below the thresholds makes the content harder to read, especially for low-vision users. That is why it is important to follow accessibility procedures like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). While WCAG does not define a specific minimum font size, it offers criteria for success in accessible design for people with vision disabilities. Other platforms — like the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) — also create standards for website accessibility, helping you develop digital content that caters to those with disabilities. Font heaviness is just as important as size. I try to avoid using weight alone to communicate meaning since many users with cognitive or visual impairments may not perceive these changes reliably. Instead, merging it with other visual cues like spacing or color contrast is excellent for reinforcing the message. Practical Applications and Industry Relevance for Designers The influence of font size and weight applies across nearly every industry where communication is central. When used strategically, typography can improve engagement, understanding and decision-making. Retail and Packaging Design Font choices directly impact how shoppers perceive products at first glance. On packaging, size and weight influence everything from readability to emotional tone. While part of it concerns standing out on a shelf, understanding immediately is also key. According to recent surveys, 72% of U.S. consumers agree that packaging design influences their purchase decisions. If the product information is hard to read, buyers may move on. Education and Learning Environments In educational settings, typography can support or hinder the learning process. Clear, accessible fonts at the right size and weight can reduce distractions and support comprehension, especially for students with dyslexia or attention disorders. Type that guides the eye and builds structure enhances retention and keeps learners engaged longer. Health Care and Patient Communication Medical documents, prescription instructions and digital health portals require absolute clarity. Otherwise, it can lead to miscommunication or even health risks. If you work in health care as a designer, weight and size decisions matter as much. It ensures patients can find, read and understand essential information without added strain. User Testing and Data-Driven Design In design, you must make hundreds of visual decisions in a single project, but not all of them should rely on instinct alone. When it comes to font size and weight, testing how real users respond can offer insights that improve the usability and effectiveness of a product. While many design systems prescribe standard font sizes and weights, context matters. What reads well on a desktop screen may offer different results on mobile. A weight that looks elegant in a mock-up may strain readers’ eyes in long-form content. User testing allows you to identify these breakdowns early and make adjustments before launch. Typography testing can range from informal preference feedback to more structured approaches like A/B testing or eye-tracking studies. Key factors to observe include: Readability: Can users quickly and accurately scan and interpret the content? Engagement: Does one font pairing lead to longer time-on-page or lower bounce rates? Retention: Are users able to recall the information they have read after interacting with the design? Tracking metrics like scroll depth, click-through rates and user drop-off points can reveal where typography may be helping or hurting comprehension. Designing for Clarity Making minor font size and weight adjustments may not seem like a big deal, but they carry real cognitive weight. The right choices can improve comprehension, reduce mental fatigue and create more user-friendly experiences. While designing, it is easy to become swept up in the aesthetics. However, taking the time to understand the decisions you make can shape attention and how well it works across audiences and industries. Eleanor Hecks Eleanor Hecks is a web designer and design writer of 8+ years, whose work has been featured in publications such as Smashing Magazine, Envato and HubSpot. She currently works as Editor-in-Chief of Designerly Magazine.

Macworld Apple’s AirPods 2025 plans: In summary New AirPods Pro could launch featuring heart‑rate and temperature tracking and better ANC sound Some AirPods to get live translation feature via software update  AirPods Max could gain H2 chip, Adaptive Audio, Conversation awareness, Voice Isolation, Bluetooth 5.3 and more In September 2024, Apple introduced the AirPods 4. At the same time the company announced that hearing aid features would be coming to the 2nd generation AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max got a minor update (Lightning switched for USB-C and a color refresh). Those hoping that the AirPods Pro 3 and the AirPods Max 2 would launch were disappointed. It is now almost three years since the AirPods Pro 2 were introduced in September 2022, and more than four years since the AirPods Max introduction in December 2020. Updates are long overdue. In this article we are tracking all the rumors about the launch date, new features and specs and any other changes coming to the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. Read on for the latest news about the 2025 AirPods. We’ll look first at the rumours and leaks relating to the AirPods Pro 3 before moving on to the AirPods Max 2 below (click here to jump to the AirPods Max section).  AirPods Pro 3 release date: When will the AirPods Pro 3 be released? In summary September 2025 launch of AirPods Pro 3 likely… …But launch could be delayed until 2026 Production delays indicated It would be typical to expect a September launch for AirPods Pro, alongside iPhone 17. The original AirPods Pro were introduced in October 2019, the AirPods 2nd-gen launched in September 2022, and those were updated with USB-C in September 2023. In a February 2025, Bloomberg report Mark Gurman suggested that the AirPods Pro 3 were “Still many months away”. That could still line up with a September (or October) launch though. Also in February an unverified leaker claimed in a tweet that there would be an AirPods Pro launch in May or June. Twitter However, in May 2025 analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that we might not see an update to the AirPods until 2026. This could relate to production delays due to a new infra-red camera Apple is said to be equipping the AirPods with (more on that below). Twitter AirPods Pro 3 price: How much will the AirPods Pro 3 cost? In summary Price hike not expected… …But prices may rise due to economic factors We don’t expect the price to change, although it may increase in certain parts of the world and remain the same in others.  For example, when Apple launched the AirPods Pro in the U.K. the price was £249, that price was later reduced to £229, so it might go back up to £249. The price in the U.S. hasn’t changed since launch. Other factors may affect pricing. Pricing for the AirPods range starts at $129/£129 for the AirPods 4, and rises to $499/£549 for the AirPods Max:  Apple Earbuds: $19/£19 AirPods 4: $129/£129 AirPoids 4 with ANC: $179/£179 AirPods Pro 2nd-gen $249/£229 AirPods Max $549/£499 Ignoring the $300 premium for the AirPods Max, that’s an extra $70 between the AirPods 4 with ANC and the AirPods Pro. It would be feasible for Apple to increase the price of the AirPods Pro if the new features made the upgrade worthwhile.  We have a round-up of the Best wireless earbuds for iPhones and the best wired headphones if you’d like to consider alternatives to AirPods. Also read AirPods Pro vs AirPods to find out how the models compare. AirPods Pro 3 features: What specs and features will the AirPods Pro 3 have? In summary Heart rate monitoring Temperature monitoring Translation Better active noise cancellation It’s fairly easy to make predictions about the new features coming to AirPods Pro 3 just by looking at the AirPods 4 and the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 (Beats is an Apple-owned subsidiary). For example, Powerbeats Pro 2, which launched in February 2025, includes heart rate monitoring. Read our review of the Powerbeats Pro 2 and our AirPods 4 review. As for the features rumored to be coming to the AirPods Pro 3, here’s what we’ve heard: Heart Rate monitoring: In December 2024, Gurman said Apple is working on in-ear heart rate monitoring. This will enable users to track heart rate while exercising without having to wear an Apple Watch.  The inclusion of heart rate monitoring in the Powerbeats Pro 2 certainly indicates that the same feature will be available on the AirPods Pro 3, but you can expect it to be superior. One issue with the Powerbeats Pro 2 is that they can’t steam music and capture heart data simultaneously. Another issue is with the interplay between the heart rate monitoring on the Apple Watch and the Powerbeats.  Temperature monitoring: Mark Gurman has also said Apple was researching in-ear temperature sensors, https://www.macworld.com/article/1978329/new-airpods-details-major-leak.html and Apple has a patent on such technology. In-ear temperature sensing could also be faster and more reliable than those via the Apple Watch. https://www.patentlyapple.com/2025/01/apple-reveals-an-all-new-temperature-sensor-that-could-be-used-with-apple-watch-airpods-and-more.html#:~:text=Apple Reveals an all-new,Electronic Devices With Temperature Sensors Translation: As part of the iOS 19 update Apple is said to be adding a live translation feature to AirPods. It’s unknown which AirPods will be compatible, but the AirPods Pro 3 are sure to be. https://www.macworld.com/article/2636989/airpods-to-get-live-translation-feature-as-part-of-ios-19-update.html We expect to hear more at WWDC. https://www.macworld.com/article/678333/wwdc-ios-macos-watchos-hardware-keynote.html Better active noise cancellation: According to Mark Gurman (in October 2023) the AirPods Pro 3 will feature a new H3 chip, which could lead to better active noise cancellation. Crash detection: An Apple patent describes a way that motion sensors inside AirPods could aid Crash Detection. AirPods Pro 3 design: Will Apple update the AirPods Pro design? In summary Changes to the charging case possible Slimmer design suggested Touch controls may work with gloves Mahmoud Itani / Foundry As mentioned above, we can look to the AirPods 4 for some clues about changes that may come to the AirPods Pro. One such change related to the charging case. The AirPod 4 charging case lacks a physical setup button, instead featuring a sensor under the status light on the front that lights up when active. There may be more changes coming. According to Mark Gurman (back in October 2023) the AirPods Pro will get a new design. We don’t expect new colors, but the buds may slim down further. The changes may be less visible, more tactile: A number of Apple patents indicate that Apple is looking to improve the way that the touch controls work on the earbuds work when the user is wearing gloves. For example in February 2025 a patent was granted to Apple that could enable this. AirPods Max 2 release date: When will the AirPods Max be updated? In summary Update long overdue Could be waiting until 2027 Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote of the AirPods Max in a December 2023 newsletter, saying that “The cans don’t sell well enough for the company to invest in entirely new hardware or software features”. However, it’s now more than four years since the AirPods Max were introduced and with such a premium price Apple owes it to customers to bring the AirPods Max into line with their competition and other AirPods Apple sells.  In 2024 Mark Gurman predicted that the AirPods Max would get an updated at the iPhone event. Sadly, the update included only a color change and a switch from Lightning for USB-C connectivity.  I expect Apple to launch new AirPods Max headphones tomorrow with better noise cancellation, adaptive audio & USB-C. They’ll launch with the low-end AirPods 4. This is line with my reporting for months but runs counter to lack of low inventory in stores. https://t.co/KIJQEwywcp— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 9, 2024 Even worse, the change meant that the AirPods Max could no longer be used as wired headphones (a feature of the Lightning-based model). This was the case until a software update in March 2025 added this ability along with lossless and ultra low latency audio. As a result of that software update, users are now able to play lossless audio and ultra-low-latency audio through a wired connection. Lossless audio is a key feature for audio producers, while ultra‑low latency audio is key for gaming and live streams. Both very important features for the AirPods Mac. Despite these ‘updates’ the over four year old headphones are lagging behind the competition and an update is long over due. The bad news is that, if analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is correct, we could be waiting until 2027 for the second generation of AirPods Max. Twitter AirPods Max 2 price: How much will the AirPods Max 2 cost? In summary Price unlikely to change… …Although Apple could unify the U.S. and U.K. prices At $549/£499 the AirPods Max are an expensive purchase. The fact that they are now more than four years old makes that price look incredibly inflated. It’s no wonder they are frequently discounted at Amazon and elsewhere. When the new models launch we don’t expect a price change though. These are designed to fit at the premium headphones end of the market, and their competition has solar prices. That said, the price in the U.S. and U.K. may come in to line, with Apple choosing to ‘match’ the price as it usually does (many Apple products share an, e.g. $499/£499 price point) which Apple calculated based on exchange rates and local taxes. AirPods Max 2 specs: What specs and features will the AirPods Max 2 have In summary Necessary updates to bring into line with rest of the AirPods lineup New chip  Removal of ‘audio howl’ There is so much lacking from he AirPods Max compared to the AirPods Pro that it is easy to assume that the following will be included:  H1 chip upgraded to H2 (or H3)  Adaptive Audio (which combines transparency mode and ANC) Conversation Awareness  Conversation Boost Voice Isolation  Personalized Volume Option to activate with ‘Siri’ voice command (not just ‘Hey Siri’) Custom high dynamic range amplifier Bluetooth 5.3 (up from Bluetooth 5.0)  Find My  Also expect better battery life.  One patent identified in 2022 indicates Apple is looking at detecting “audio howl”, which is described as distracting audio feedback. AirPods Max 2 design: Will Apple update the AirPods Max design? In summary More protective carry case Removable ear cushions  Waterproofing  Jason Cross/IDG Improvements to gesture controls which are currently via the Digital Crown. Could Apple forgo the Digital Crown in favor of touch controls on the ear cups?  We could see changes to the carry case. Ideally it should cover the whole product and be more protective. A patent from 2022 suggested that Apple was developing a better case with magnetic clasps. The Audio Howl patent mentioned above also refers to removable ear cushions which could be reattached using magnets.  We’d also like to see a foldable design and better waterproofing. If you’re keen to hear the latest rumors about Apple’s plans, the best place to start is our roundup of New Apple products. Those interested in the current range should take a look at our roundup of the best AirPods deals for the latest bargains.

PROS: Easy, tool-less RAM and SSD access and replacement Excellent performance and impressive cooling More refined, premium-looking design AniMe Vision matrix display for some gamer flair Stunning matte Mini LED display CONS: Slightly larger and heavier than previous gen Quite pricey RATINGS: AESTHETICSERGONOMICSPERFORMANCESUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITYVALUE FOR MONEYEDITOR'S QUOTE:The ASUS Strix SCAR 18 (2025) delivers a powerhouse of a gaming laptop wrapped in a design that's modern, mature, and premium. Typical gaming laptops come in thick, bulky chassis with flashy lighting. The former is a result of cramming as many high-performance components as possible in such a cramped space, while the latter is a product of boxing gamer aesthetics into a particular stereotype. As more people embrace video gaming, however, the variety of design tastes also grows, with some preferring their gaming gear to be a bit more discreet and subtle. Announced earlier this year, the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is bringing more than just the latest and greatest in PC gaming technologies. It also arrived with a redesigned appearance, breaking away from its peers to some degree. But does the gaming laptop’s embrace of subdued aesthetics also mean it cuts down on its performance? We give this racing car-inspired powerhouse a spin to see if it manages to strike a balance between power and beauty that will appeal to a wider audience. Designer: ASUS Republic of Gamers Aesthetics You might be surprised by the sight that greets you when you remove the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) from its packaging. You immediately behold a frame that looks premium, eschewing the shiny plastic surfaces and geometric details that deck most gaming laptops. Instead, the soft-touch matte black material on its back gives it a sleeker, more premium personality, a design language that ASUS seems to be adopting across its laptop line. That design continues inside, where the semi-transparent keyboard deck of last year’s model is replaced with an opaque, all-black case that is less distracting and, to be honest, looks more professional. If you turn all the RGB lights off, the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) could easily pass off for a business laptop, though a rather bulky one at that. The one complaint we have with this smoother texture is how it easily smudges, so you’ll find yourself wiping surfaces more often to keep them looking pristine and presentable. Of course, a Republic of Gamers laptop is still designed for gamers, and those who do want some flair will find plenty of sliders and switches to play with. In addition to the lightbar that runs around the bottom of the chassis and the standard keyboard backlighting, the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) brings the AniMe Vision matrix display from the ROG Zephyrus line, providing 810 LEDs shining through 9,152 precision-milled holes that you can control to show off some lo-fi text or images, both static and animated. The ROG logo sitting in the corner also has its own RGB lights, though it might be a little too big for our tastes. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) delivers a design that successfully pulls off a tough balancing act, providing a sophisticated and premium look that can still flaunt all those bright RGB colors if wanted. It is distinctly gaming-oriented without having to shout it, preferring to let its performance do the talking. Ergonomics There’s no escaping the laws of physics, and until the day we can truly shrink hardware and develop some magical cooling technology, there will always be concessions when it comes to balancing power and portability. Gaming laptops are unsurprisingly the worst offenders in this matter, and this year’s ROG Strix SCAR 18 sadly takes a step back. Although the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is an upgrade in almost every other aspect, it is also slightly larger and noticeably heavier than its predecessor. The good news is that it isn’t for naught, because the newer model does pack an improved cooling system as well as a more modular design, but it’s still something potential buyers will have to consider to manage their expectations, not to mention prepare their backs or shoulders when lugging it around. The SCAR 18 (2025)’s more streamlined design also has ramifications for its usability, particularly with the ports. Gone are the side exhausts, allowing the connectivity ports to be pushed backward a bit. ASUS also took the opportunity to add a third full-sized USB-A port, probably to the delight of many gamers and computer users whose favorite accessories haven’t yet moved to the age of USB-C. The power connector has also been redesigned with a new rectangular plug instead of a round barrel. Unfortunately, the power cable has also been changed to stick out from the side rather than at a 90-degree angle like last year’s charger. The ergonomics of the keyboard and the large touchpad are quite good, providing comfort and precision despite not having your ideal mechanical switches. One thing that might throw off new users, however, is the non-standard position of the cursor keys and the layout of the numeric keypad. It’s not a complete deal-breaker, but one that will require developing some muscle memory that you can’t carry over to other keyboards or laptops. Performance The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is an upgrade in every sense of the word, bearing the latest and greatest Intel chip, the Core Ultra 9 275HX. This is paired with a Series 5000 NVIDIA graphics card, which will naturally depend on what model you’ll have. Our review unit, the G835LW, comes with a GeForce RTX 5080, while there are also options for a 5070 (G835LR) and the highest 5090 (G835LX). Out of the box, you get 32GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, but you can easily double that, as we’ll see later. Long story short, this machine is a beast, making short work of modern AAA titles. Of course, don’t expect to get desktop-grade performance that will let you crank up all the settings to 11, but you won’t be far off either. What’s more impressive than the benchmark numbers is how stable that performance is, particularly thanks to an improved cooling system this year. In addition to your typical high-capacity fans, which now number three, the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) features heatsinks that stretch across the whole width of the laptop. Also running from end to end is the vapor chamber sandwiched between these heatsinks. Completely new to this generation, however, is the Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal that replaces your typical thermal paste on the CPU and the GPU. All these work together to keep thermals down to a manageable level and keep the laptop running in peak condition for far longer. While performance is something you’ll only be able to feel when actually pushing the laptop to its limits, the stunning 18-inch Mini LED is a beauty that you’ll be able to immediately see and appreciate. It definitely has a laundry list of features that not only gamers but also designers will love, starting with the 2.5K resolution and 1200 nits of peak brightness. 100% DCI-P3 coverage ensures color accuracy, while 240Hz refresh rates mean your content will be able to keep up with the action. Vibrant, colorful, and fluid, this screen is pretty much the mouth-watering icing on top of the cake that is the laptop’s performance. Battery life, on the other hand, isn’t as impressive. It’s still the same 90Wh capacity from last year’s model, so its average expectancy isn’t that much. You’d be lucky to get even an hour of gaming with medium settings, which is quite average among gaming laptops. ASUS did upgrade the charger to 380W from 330W, so you have a shorter charging time. The bonus is that the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) now supports 100W PD (Power Delivery) charging via USB-C, which expands charging options just a bit. Of course, it’s still slower and won’t be able to support heavy gaming compared to the official power brick, but it’s better than completely draining your battery dry in less than an hour. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) definitely doesn’t hold back when it comes to performance, making it an excellent portable workstation for designers and creators as well. There’s no denying that it offers one of, if not, the best options in the gaming laptop market, but the real question is whether that justifies the price that ASUS is asking for in turn. We’ll get to that in a bit, but first, we make a segue into what is probably the third-best thing about the laptop after its sophisticated beauty and unmatched performance. Sustainability At first glance, the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is your typical mix of metal and plastic that you’d find in many gaming laptops. In fact, you might even be disappointed to find out that there’s still quite a lot of plastic, especially on the interior deck, rather than the aluminum that premium laptops have begun to flaunt. That said, the plastic does help with keeping things a bit cooler and even a little bit lighter, despite the laptop being quite a heavyweight. ROG added one feature that trumps all that, though. With a simple slide of a latch, you can easily remove the back panel to have instant access to SSD and RAM slots. Even better, ASUS has brought its Q-Latch system to easily remove and replace the SSDs with just a plastic hinge. The fans and battery are also quickly exposed, though those will require a bit more work to take out. The motherboard is also well protected with a special frame but is still just a few screws away. This tool-less access to the most commonly upgraded components ensures that the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) will last you a long, long time. Value Subtly sophisticated, impressively powerful, and easily upgradable, the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) almost has it all. The combination of refined aesthetics and flexibility to show off your gamer DNA positions this laptop as a powerhouse not just for gaming but for any endeavor that requires extensive processing, which usually includes AI these days. It’s almost perfect except for one particularly thorny subject: the price. The G835LW with an RTX 5080 fetches a jaw-dropping $3,399.99, and the highest configuration easily goes for $4,449.99. That puts it close to luxury laptop territory, which isn’t something you might call such a gaming laptop, especially one that still has plenty of plastic to go around. Between these two, this G835LW model we’re reviewing seems to have the best balance, compromising just a little bit on performance for a huge cut in cost. Are there other options in this price range? Definitely. But are there other options in this price range that offer this trifecta of style, power, and longevity? Probably not. Verdict We’re entering an age where gaming laptops are no longer just hulking portable counterparts of their desktop cousins. As user tastes evolve, so too, do laptop designs. Those neon-lit futuristic slabs won’t disappear, but we’ll be getting an infusion of gaming laptops that cast their nets wider to appeal to a more diverse audience, some of which might not want to broadcast their gaming passion 24/7. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) manages to strike a balance that will probably satisfy a good number of gamers of different aesthetic preferences. It cuts a rather captivating image of a powerful portable machine that can handle any task without breaking a sweat. Yes when you turn the RGB lights on and bring the AniMe Vision display to life, it immediately transforms into a dynamic battle station that will carry you to victory. The price tag is definitely a bitter pill to swallow, but you can rest assured that you’re getting you’re money’s worth, especially in the long term. The post ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) Review: Subtly Sophisticated Performance Powerhouse first appeared on Yanko Design.

I think we, as engineers and designers, have a lot to gain by stepping outside of our worlds. That’s why in previous pieces I’ve been drawn towards architecture, newspapers, and the occasional polymath. Today, we stumble blindly into the world of philosophy. Bear with me. I think there’s something to it. In 1974, the American philosopher Robert M. Pirsig published a book called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. A flowing blend of autobiography, road trip diary, and philosophical musings, the book’s ‘chautauqua’ is an interplay between art, science, and self. Its outlook on life has stuck with me since I read it. The book often feels prescient, at times surreal to read given it’s now 50 years old. Pirsig’s reflections on arts vs. sciences, subjective vs. objective, and systems vs. people translate seamlessly to the digital age. There are lessons there that I think are useful when trying to navigate — and build — the web. Those lessons are what this piece is about. I feel obliged at this point to echo Pirsig and say that what follows should in no way be associated with the great body of factual information about Zen Buddhist practice. It’s not very factual in terms of web development, either. Buddha In The Machine Zen is written in stages. It sets a scene before making its central case. That backdrop is important, so I will mirror it here. The book opens with the start of a motorcycle road trip undertaken by Pirsig and his son. It’s a winding journey that takes them most of the way across the United States. Despite the trip being in part characterized as a flight from the machine, from the industrial ‘death force’, Pirsig takes great pains to emphasize that technology is not inherently bad or destructive. Treating it as such actually prevents us from finding ways in which machinery and nature can be harmonious. Granted, at its worst, the technological world does feel like a death force. In the book’s 1970s backdrop, it manifests as things like efficiency, profit, optimization, automation, growth — the kinds of words that, when we read them listed together, a part of our soul wants to curl up in the fetal position. In modern tech, those same forces apply. We might add things like engagement and tracking to them. Taken to the extreme, these forces contribute to the web feeling like a deeply inhuman place. Something cold, calculating, and relentless, yet without a fire in its belly. Impersonal, mechanical, inhuman. Faced with these forces, the impulse is often to recoil. To shut our laptops and wander into the woods. However, there is a big difference between clearing one’s head and burying it in the sand. Pirsig argues that “Flight from and hatred of technology is self-defeating.” To throw our hands up and step away from tech is to concede to the power of its more sinister forces. “The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he does at the top of a mountain or in the petals of a flower. To think otherwise is to demean the Buddha — which is to demean oneself.”— Robert M. Pirsig Before we can concern ourselves with questions about what we might do, we must try our best to marshal how we might be. We take our heads and hearts with us wherever we go. If we characterize ourselves as powerless pawns, then that is what we will be. Where design and development are concerned, that means residing in the technology without losing our sense of self — or power. Technology is only as good or evil, as useful or as futile, as the people shaping it. Be it the internet or artificial intelligence, to direct blame or ire at the technology itself is to absolve ourselves of the responsibility to use it better. It is better not to demean oneself, I think. So, with the Godhead in mind, to business. Classical And Romantic A core concern of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is the tension between the arts and sciences. The two worlds have a long, rich history of squabbling and dysfunction. There is often mutual distrust, suspicion, and even hostility. This, again, is self-defeating. Hatred of technology is a symptom of it. “A classical understanding sees the world primarily as the underlying form itself. A romantic understanding sees it primarily in terms of immediate appearance.”— Robert M. Pirsig If we were to characterize the two as bickering siblings, familiar adjectives might start to appear: Classical Romantic Dull Frivolous Awkward Irrational Ugly Erratic Mechanical Untrustworthy Cold Fleeting Anyone in the world of web design and development will have come up against these kinds of standoffs. Tensions arise between testing and intuition, best practices and innovation, structure and fluidity. Is design about following rules or breaking them? Treating such questions as binary is a fallacy. In doing so, we place ourselves in adversarial positions, whatever we consider ourselves to be. The best work comes from these worlds working together — from recognising they are bound. Steve Jobs was a famous advocate of this. “Technology alone is not enough — it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing.”— Steve Jobs Whatever you may feel about Jobs himself, I think this sentiment is watertight. No one field holds all the keys. Leonardo da Vinci was a shining example of doing away with this needless siloing of worlds. He was a student of light, anatomy, art, architecture, everything and anything that interested him. And they complemented each other. Excellence is a question of harmony. Is a motorcycle a romantic or classical artifact? Is it a machine or a symbol? A series of parts or a whole? It’s all these things and more. To say otherwise does a disservice to the motorcycle and deprives us of its full beauty. Just by reframing the relationship in this way, the kinds of adjectives that come to mind naturally shift toward more harmonious territory. Classical Romantic Organized Vibrant Scaleable Evocative Reliable Playful Efficient Fun Replicable Expressive And, of course, when we try thinking this way, the distinction itself starts feeling fuzzier. There is so much that they share. Pirsig posits that the division between the subjective and objective is one of the great missteps of the Greeks, one that has been embraced wholeheartedly by the West in the millennia since. That doesn’t have to be the lens, though. Perhaps monism, not dualism, is the way. In a sense, technology marks the ultimate interplay between the arts and the sciences, the classical and the romantic. It is the human condition brought to you with ones and zeros. To separate those parts of it is to tear apart the thing itself. The same is true of the web. Is it romantic or classical? Art or science? Structured or anarchic? It is all those things and more. Engineering at its best is where all these apparent contradictions meet and become one. What is this place? Well, that brings us to a core concept of Pirsig’s book: Quality. Quality The central concern of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is the ‘Metaphysics of Quality’. Pirsig argues that ‘Quality’ is where subjective and objective experience meet. Quality is at the knife edge of experience. “Quality is the continuing stimulus which our environment puts upon us to create the world in which we live. All of it. Every last bit of it.”— Robert M. Pirsig Pirsig's writings overlap a lot with Taoism and Eastern philosophy, to the extent that he likens Quality to the Tao. Quality is similarly undefinable, with Pirsig himself making a point of not defining it. Like the Tao, Plato’s Form of the Good, or the ‘good taste’ to which GitHub cofounder Scott Chacon recently attributed the platform’s success, it simply is. Despite its nebulous nature, Quality is something we recognise when we see it. Any given problem or question has an infinite number of potential solutions, but we are drawn to the best ones as water flows toward the sea. When in a hostile environment, we withdraw from it, responding to a lack of Quality around us. We are drawn to Quality, to the point at which subjective and objective, romantic and classical, meet. There is no map, there isn’t a bullet point list of instructions for finding it, but we know it when we’re there. A Quality Web So, what does all this look like in a web context? How can we recognize and pursue Quality for its own sake and resist the forces that pull us away from it? There are a lot of ways in which the web is not what we’d call a Quality environment. When we use social media sites with algorithms designed around provocation rather than communication, when we’re assailed with ads to such an extent that content feels (and often is) secondary, and when AI-generated slop replaces artisanal craft, something feels off. We feel the absence of Quality. Here are a few habits that I think work in the service of more Quality on the web. Seek To Understand How Things Work I’m more guilty than anyone of diving into projects without taking time to step back and assess what I’m actually dealing with. As you can probably guess from the title, a decent amount of time in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is spent with the author as he tinkers with his motorcycle. Keeping it tuned up and in good repair makes it work better, of course, but the practice has deeper, more understated value, too. It lends itself to understanding. To maintain a motorcycle, one must have some idea of how it works. To take an engine apart and put it back together, one must know what each piece does and how it connects. For Pirsig, this process becomes almost meditative, offering perspective and clarity. The same is true of code. Rushing to the quick fix, be it due to deadlines or lethargy, will, at best, lead to a shoddy result and, in all likelihood, make things worse. “Black boxes” are as much a choice not to learn as they are something innately mysterious or unknowable. One of the reasons the web feels so ominous at times is that we don’t know how it works. Why am I being recommended this? Why are ads about ivory backscratchers following me everywhere? The inner workings of web tracking or AI models may not always be available, but just about any concept can be understood in principle. So, in concrete terms: Read the documentation, for the love of god.Sometimes we don’t understand how things work because the manual’s bad; more often, it’s because we haven’t looked at it. Follow pipelines from their start to their finish.How does data get from point A to point Z? What functions does it pass through, and how do they work? Do health work.Changing the oil in a motorcycle and bumping project dependencies amount to the same thing: a caring and long-term outlook. Shiny new gizmos are cool, but old ones that still run like a dream are beautiful. Always be studying.We are all works in progress, and clinging on to the way things were won’t make the brave new world go away. Be open to things you don’t know, and try not to treat those areas with suspicion. Bound up with this is nurturing a love for what might easily be mischaracterized as the ‘boring’ bits. Motorcycles are for road trips, and code powers products and services, but understanding how they work and tending to their inner workings will bring greater benefits in the long run. Reframe The Questions Much of the time, our work is understandably organized in terms of goals. OKRs, metrics, milestones, and the like help keep things organized and stuff happening. We shouldn’t get too hung up on them, though. Looking at the things we do in terms of Quality helps us reframe the process. The highest Quality solution isn’t always the same as the solution that performed best in A/B tests. The Dark Side of the Moon doesn’t exist because of focus groups. The test screenings for Se7en were dreadful. Reducing any given task to a single metric — or even a handful of metrics — hamstrings the entire process. Rory Sutherland suggests much the same thing in Are We Too Impatient to Be Intelligent? when he talks about looking at things as open-ended questions rather than reducing them to binary metrics to be optimized. Instead of fixating on making trains faster, wouldn’t it be more useful to ask, How do we improve their Quality? Challenge metrics. Good ones — which is to say, Quality ones — can handle the scrutiny. The bad ones deserve to crumble. Either way, you’re doing the world a service. With any given action you take on a website — from button design to database choices — ask yourself, Does this improve the Quality of what I’m working on? Not the bottom line. Not the conversion rate. Not egos. The Quality. Quality pulls us away from dark patterns and towards the delightful. The will to Quality is itself a paradigm shift. Aspiring to Quality removes a lot of noise from what is often a deafening environment. It may make things that once seemed big appear small. Seek To Wed Art With Science (And Whatever Else Fits The Bill) None of the above is to say that rules, best practices, conventions, and the like don’t have their place or are antithetical to Quality. They aren’t. To think otherwise is to slip into the kind of dualities Pirsig rails against in Zen. In a lot of ways, the main underlying theme in my What X Can Teach Us About Web Design pieces over the years has been how connected seemingly disparate worlds are. Yes, Vitruvius’s 1st-century tenets about architecture are useful to web design. Yes, newspapers can teach us much about grid systems and organising content. And yes, a piece of philosophical fiction from the 1970s holds many lessons about how to meet the challenges of artificial intelligence. Do not close your work off from atypical companions. Stuck on a highly technical problem? Perhaps a piece of children’s literature will help you to make the complicated simple. Designing a new homepage for your website? Look at some architecture. The best outcomes are harmonies of seemingly disparate worlds. Cling to nothing and throw nothing away. Make Time For Doing Nothing Here’s the rub. Just as Quality itself cannot be defined, the way to attain it is also not reducible to a neat bullet point list. Neither waterfall, agile or any other management framework holds the keys. If we are serious about putting Buddha in the machine, then we must allow ourselves time and space to not do things. Distancing ourselves from the myriad distractions of modern life puts us in states where the drift toward Quality is almost inevitable. In the absence of distracting forces, that’s where we head. Get away from the screen.We all have those moments where the solution to a problem appears as if out of nowhere. We may be on a walk or doing chores, then pop! Work on side projects.I’m not naive. I know some work environments are hostile to anything that doesn’t look like relentless delivery. Pet projects are ideal spaces for you to breathe. They’re yours, and you don’t have to justify them to anyone. As I go into more detail in “An Ode to Side Project Time,” there is immense good in non-doing, in letting the water clear. There is so much urgency, so much of the time. Stepping away from that is vital not just for well-being, but actually leads to better quality work too. From time to time, let go of your sense of urgency. Spirit Of Play Despite appearances, the web remains a deeply human experiment. The very best and very worst of our souls spill out into this place. It only makes sense, therefore, to think of the web — and how we shape it — in spiritual terms. We can’t leave those questions at the door. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance has a lot to offer the modern web. It’s not a manifesto or a way of life, but it articulates an outlook on technology, art, and the self that many of us recognise on a deep, fundamental level. For anyone even vaguely intrigued by what’s been written here, I suggest reading the book. It’s much better than this article. Be inspired. So much of the web is beautiful. The highest-rated Awwwards profiles are just a fraction of the amazing things being made every day. Allow yourself to be delighted. Aspire to be delightful. Find things you care about and make them the highest form of themselves you can. And always do so in a spirit of play. We can carry those sentiments to the web. Do away with artificial divides between arts and science and bring out the best in both. Nurture a taste for Quality and let it guide the things you design and engineer. Allow yourself space for the water to clear in defiance of the myriad forces that would have you do otherwise. The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in a social media feed or the inner machinations of cloud computing as at the top of a mountain or in the petals of a flower. To think otherwise is to demean the Buddha, which is to demean oneself. Other Resources Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig The Beauty of Everyday Things by Soetsu Yanagi Tao Te Ching “The Creative Act” by Rick Rubin “Robert Pirsig & His Metaphysics of Quality” by Anthony McWatt “Dark Patterns in UX: How to Identify and Avoid Unethical Design Practices” by Daria Zaytseva Further Reading on Smashing Magazine “Three Approaches To Amplify Your Design Projects,” Olivia De Alba “AI’s Transformative Impact On Web Design: Supercharging Productivity Across The Industry,” Paul Boag “How A Bottom-Up Design Approach Enhances Site Accessibility,” Eleanor Hecks “How Accessibility Standards Can Empower Better Chart Visual Design,” Kent Eisenhuth

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Meet Cathy Tie, Bride of “China’s Frankenstein” Since the Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui was released from prison in 2022, he has sought to make a scientific comeback and to repair his reputation after a three-year incarceration for illegally creating the world’s first gene-edited children.One area of visible success on his come-back trail has been his X.com account. Over the past few years, his account has evolved from sharing mundane images of his daily life to spreading outrageous, antagonistic messages. This has left observers unsure what to take seriously.Last month, in reply to MIT Technology Review’s questions about who was responsible for the account’s transformation into a font of clever memes, He emailed us back: “It’s thanks to Cathy Tie.” Tie is no stranger to the public spotlight. A former Thiel fellow, she is a partner in a project which promised to create glow-in-the-dark pets. Over the past several weeks, though, the Canadian entrepreneur has started to get more and more attention as the new wife to He Jiankui. Read the full story. —Caiwei Chen & Antonio Regalado Anthropic’s new hybrid AI model can work on tasks autonomously for hours at a time Anthropic has announced two new AI models that it claims represent a major step toward making AI agents truly useful. AI agents trained on Claude Opus 4, the company’s most powerful model to date, raise the bar for what such systems are capable of by tackling difficult tasks over extended periods of time and responding more usefully to user instructions, the company says. They’ve achieved some impressive results: Opus 4 created a guide for the video game Pokémon Red while playing it for more than 24 hours straight. The company’s previously most powerful model was capable of playing for just 45 minutes. Read the full story. —Rhiannon Williams The FDA plans to limit access to covid vaccines. Here’s why that’s not all bad. This week, two new leaders at the US Food and Drug Administration announced plans to limit access to covid vaccines, arguing that there is not much evidence to support the value of annual shots in healthy people. New vaccines will be made available only to the people who are most vulnerable—namely, those over 65 and others with conditions that make them more susceptible to severe disease.The plans have been met with fear and anger in some quarters. But they weren’t all that shocking to me. In the UK, where I live, covid boosters have been offered only to vulnerable groups for a while now. And the immunologists I spoke to agree: The plans make sense. Read the full story. —Jessica Hamzelou This article first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first, sign up here. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Thousands of Americans are facing extreme weatherBut help from the federal government may never arrive. (Slate $)+ States struck by tornadoes and floods are begging the Trump administration for aid. (Scientific American $) 2 Spain’s grid operator has accused power plants of not doing their jobIt claims they failed to control the system’s voltage shortly before the blackout. (FT $)+ Did solar power cause Spain’s blackout? (MIT Technology Review) 3 Google is facing a DoJ probe over its AI chatbot dealIt will probe whether Google’s deal with Character.AI gives it an unfair advantage. (Bloomberg $)+ It may not lead to enforcement action, though. (Reuters) 4 DOGE isn’t bad news for everyoneThese smaller US government IT contractors say it’s good for business—for now. (WSJ $)+ It appears that DOGE used a Meta AI model to review staff emails, not Grok. (Wired $)+ Can AI help DOGE slash government budgets? It’s complex. (MIT Technology Review)5 Google’s new shopping tool adds breasts to minorsTry it On distorts uploaded photos to clothing models’ proportions, even when they’re children. (The Atlantic $)+ It feels like this could have easily been avoided. (Axios)+ An AI companion site is hosting sexually charged conversations with underage celebrity bots. (MIT Technology Review) 6 Apple is reportedly planning a smart glasses product launchBy the end of next year. (Bloomberg $)+ It’s playing catchup with Meta and Google, among others. (Engadget)+ What’s next for smart glasses. (MIT Technology Review) 7 What it’s like to live in Elon Musk’s corner of TexasComplete with an ugly bust and furious locals. (The Guardian)+ West Lake Hills residents are pushing back against his giant fences. (Architectural Digest $) 8 Our solar system may contain a hidden ninth planetA possible dwarf planet has been spotted orbiting beyond Neptune. (New Scientist $) 9 Wikipedia does swag nowHow else will you let everyone know you love the open web? (Fast Company $) 10 One of the last good apps is shutting downMozilla is closing Pocket, its article-saving app, and the internet is worse for it. (404 Media)+ Parent company Mozilla said the way people use the web has changed. (The Verge) Quote of the day “This is like the Mount Everest of corruption.” —Senator Jeff Merkley protests outside Donald Trump’s exclusive dinner for the highest-paying customers of his personal cryptocurrency, the New York Times reports. One more thing The iPad was meant to revolutionize accessibility. What happened?On April 3, 2010, Steve Jobs debuted the iPad. What for most people was basically a more convenient form factor was something far more consequential for non-speakers: a life-­changing revolution in access to a portable, powerful communication device for just a few hundred dollars.But a piece of hardware, however impressively designed and engineered, is only as valuable as what a person can do with it. After the iPad’s release, the flood of new, easy-to-use augmentative and alternative communication apps that users were in desperate need of never came.Today, there are only around half a dozen apps, each retailing for $200 to $300, that ask users to select from menus of crudely drawn icons to produce text and synthesized speech. It’s a depressingly slow pace of development for such an essential human function. Read the full story. —Julie Kim We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.) + Dive into the physics behind the delicate frills of Tête de Moine cheese shavings.+ Our capacity to feel moved by music is at least partly inherited, apparently.+ Kermit the frog has delivered a moving commencement address at the University of Maryland.+ It’s a question as old as time: are clowns sexy?

Posted on : May 23, 2025 By Tech World Times Fintech  Rate this post In the fast-paced world of stock trading and investment, information is everything. For both novice and experienced investors, the ability to analyze data, spot trends, and make informed decisions can be the difference between gains and losses. One platform that has been gaining traction among investors is 5StarsStocks.com, a comprehensive stock analysis and research tool designed to empower users with the insights needed to outperform the market. This article delves into the top 10 investment insights provided by 5StarsStocks com and how they can transform your investment strategy. 1. Comprehensive Stock Ratings One of the core features of 5StarsStocks dot com is its proprietary stock rating system. Each stock is given a rating from one to five stars based on various factors such as financial health, growth potential, valuation, and analyst sentiment. This simplified yet powerful metric helps investors quickly assess the attractiveness of a stock, saving time and effort during the decision-making process. The rating system aggregates multiple data points into a digestible format, making it easier for investors to compare different stocks at a glance. For those new to investing, this can serve as a useful guide, while seasoned investors can use it as a tool to validate their own research. 2. Real-Time Market Data and Alerts Timing is crucial in investing, and 5StarsStocks.com excels by offering real-time market data and alerts. Whether it’s a price movement, breaking news, or a shift in analyst ratings, the platform ensures that users stay updated instantly. This feature is particularly beneficial for active traders who need to respond quickly to market changes. Users can customize alerts based on their watchlist, ensuring they only receive relevant updates. This minimizes distractions while maximizing timely opportunities. 3. In-Depth Fundamental Analysis Fundamental analysis is at the heart of long-term investing, and 5StarsStocks.com provides a robust suite of tools for evaluating a company’s intrinsic value. Key metrics such as price-to-earnings ratio (P/E), debt-to-equity, return on equity (ROE), and earnings growth are clearly presented and accompanied by visual aids for better comprehension. The platform also includes historical financial statements and earnings reports, allowing users to track a company’s performance over time. This kind of depth helps investors determine whether a stock is overvalued or undervalued based on its fundamentals. 4. Technical Analysis Tools For those who rely on charts and indicators, 5StarsStocks.com offers a robust technical analysis toolkit. This includes interactive charts with customizable timeframes, moving averages, MACD, RSI, Bollinger Bands, and other technical indicators. These tools help traders identify patterns and signals that can inform entry and exit points. Whether you’re a swing trader, day trader, or long-term investor, these tools enhance your ability to time the market effectively. 5. Sector and Industry Breakdown Diversification is a fundamental principle in portfolio management. 5StarsStocks.com helps investors achieve this by providing detailed sector and industry breakdowns. Users can analyze which sectors are currently performing well and identify the best-performing stocks within each category. This insight helps investors build balanced portfolios and identify sector rotation trends—where capital flows from one sector to another, offering new opportunities. 6. Customizable Watchlists and Portfolios The ability to track selected stocks over time is essential for monitoring investment performance. 5StarsStocks.com allows users to create and manage multiple watchlists and virtual portfolios. This feature enables investors to simulate investment strategies or monitor actual holdings. You can tag stocks, write notes, and set performance benchmarks. These tools are particularly helpful for users managing diverse portfolios or exploring new investment ideas. 7. Earnings Calendar and Forecasts Earnings season is often a volatile period in the stock market. 5StarsStocks.com provides an up-to-date earnings calendar and detailed forecasts, including EPS estimates and expected revenue. These insights help investors prepare for potential price movements and adjust their strategies accordingly. The platform also provides post-earnings analysis, showing how stocks reacted to earnings reports in the past. This data can be used to predict future behavior and avoid costly surprises. 8. Expert Analyst Opinions and Ratings 5StarsStocks.com aggregates analyst ratings from major investment banks and brokerage firms. It compiles buy, hold, and sell recommendations, along with price targets and analyst comments. This collective insight allows users to gauge market sentiment and assess whether a stock is aligned with consensus expectations. Moreover, users can filter analysts based on their historical accuracy, ensuring that the most credible opinions are given priority. 9. Educational Resources and Investment Guides Investing is a continuous learning process. To support investors at all levels, 5StarsStocks.com offers a range of educational materials, including tutorials, webinars, investment guides, and market commentary. These resources cover topics such as risk management, portfolio diversification, and technical analysis. This commitment to investor education makes the platform not only a tool but also a learning environment, which is particularly valuable for beginners. 10. Data-Driven Stock Screeners Finding the right stocks can be like finding a needle in a haystack. 5StarsStocks.com simplifies this with powerful stock screeners that allow users to filter stocks based on specific criteria. Whether you’re looking for high-growth tech stocks, undervalued blue chips, or dividend aristocrats, the screener can help narrow down your choices. Users can create custom screening templates or use pre-built ones curated by experts. This enables precise, data-driven investing rather than relying on guesswork or hype. Final Thoughts In a time when information overload is a real challenge, 5StarsStocks.com stands out by delivering relevant, organized, and actionable investment insights. From stock ratings and technical indicators to real-time alerts and educational resources, the platform offers a comprehensive solution for modern investors. Whether you’re building your first portfolio or fine-tuning an existing strategy, these ten insights from 5StarsStocks.com can help you make smarter, more confident investment decisions. Its blend of simplicity, depth, and customization makes it a valuable asset for anyone serious about growing their wealth through the stock market. FAQs Q1: Is 5StarsStocks.com suitable for beginners? Yes, it offers user-friendly tools, educational resources, and simplified ratings that are ideal for those new to investing.Q2: Can I use 5StarsStocks.com for day trading? Absolutely. The platform provides real-time data, alerts, and technical analysis tools suitable for active traders.Q3: Is the stock rating system on 5StarsStocks.com reliable? The rating system is based on a multi-factor model and is widely appreciated for its consistency and accuracy.Q4: Does 5StarsStocks.com offer a free trial? Many users report that the platform offers a trial period or demo version. It’s best to visit the official site for the latest offers.Q5: Can I track my investments on 5StarsStocks.com? Yes, you can create watchlists and virtual portfolios to monitor and simulate your investment performance.Tech World TimesTech World Times (TWT), a global collective focusing on the latest tech news and trends in blockchain, Fintech, Development & Testing, AI and Startups. If you are looking for the guest post then contact at techworldtimes@gmail.com

Studies find that people's perception of time really does warp during exercise, and the distraction of racing a rival does not fix this distorted perception.

This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Meet Cathy Tie, Bride of “China’s Frankenstein” Since the Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui was released from prison in 2022, he has sought to make a scientific comeback and to repair his reputation after a three-year incarceration for illegally creating the world’s first gene-edited children. One area of visible success on his come-back trail has been his X.com account. Over the past few years, his account has evolved from sharing mundane images of his daily life to spreading outrageous, antagonistic messages. This has left observers unsure what to take seriously.Last month, in reply to MIT Technology Review’s questions about who was responsible for the account’s transformation into a font of clever memes, He emailed us back: “It’s thanks to Cathy Tie.”Tie is no stranger to the public spotlight. A former Thiel fellow, she is a partner in a project which promised to create glow-in-the-dark pets. Over the past several weeks, though, the Canadian entrepreneur has started to get more and more attention as the new wife to He Jiankui. Read the full story. —Caiwei Chen & Antonio Regalado Anthropic’s new hybrid AI model can work on tasks autonomously for hours at a time Anthropic has announced two new AI models that it claims represent a major step toward making AI agents truly useful. AI agents trained on Claude Opus 4, the company’s most powerful model to date, raise the bar for what such systems are capable of by tackling difficult tasks over extended periods of time and responding more usefully to user instructions, the company says. They’ve achieved some impressive results: Opus 4 created a guide for the video game Pokémon Red while playing it for more than 24 hours straight. The company’s previously most powerful model was capable of playing for just 45 minutes. Read the full story. —Rhiannon Williams The FDA plans to limit access to covid vaccines. Here’s why that’s not all bad. This week, two new leaders at the US Food and Drug Administration announced plans to limit access to covid vaccines, arguing that there is not much evidence to support the value of annual shots in healthy people. New vaccines will be made available only to the people who are most vulnerable—namely, those over 65 and others with conditions that make them more susceptible to severe disease. The plans have been met with fear and anger in some quarters. But they weren’t all that shocking to me. In the UK, where I live, covid boosters have been offered only to vulnerable groups for a while now. And the immunologists I spoke to agree: The plans make sense. Read the full story. —Jessica Hamzelou This article first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first, sign up here. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Thousands of Americans are facing extreme weather But help from the federal government may never arrive. (Slate $)+ States struck by tornadoes and floods are begging the Trump administration for aid. (Scientific American $)2 Spain’s grid operator has accused power plants of not doing their job It claims they failed to control the system’s voltage shortly before the blackout. (FT $)+ Did solar power cause Spain’s blackout? (MIT Technology Review)3 Google is facing a DoJ probe over its AI chatbot deal It will probe whether Google’s deal with Character.AI gives it an unfair advantage. (Bloomberg $)+ It may not lead to enforcement action, though. (Reuters) 4 DOGE isn’t bad news for everyone These smaller US government IT contractors say it’s good for business—for now. (WSJ $)+ It appears that DOGE used a Meta AI model to review staff emails, not Grok. (Wired $)+ Can AI help DOGE slash government budgets? It’s complex. (MIT Technology Review)5 Google’s new shopping tool adds breasts to minorsTry it On distorts uploaded photos to clothing models’ proportions, even when they’re children. (The Atlantic $)+ It feels like this could have easily been avoided. (Axios)+ An AI companion site is hosting sexually charged conversations with underage celebrity bots. (MIT Technology Review)6 Apple is reportedly planning a smart glasses product launchBy the end of next year. (Bloomberg $) + It’s playing catchup with Meta and Google, among others. (Engadget)+ What’s next for smart glasses. (MIT Technology Review) 7 What it’s like to live in Elon Musk’s corner of TexasComplete with an ugly bust and furious locals. (The Guardian) + West Lake Hills residents are pushing back against his giant fences. (Architectural Digest $)8 Our solar system may contain a hidden ninth planetA possible dwarf planet has been spotted orbiting beyond Neptune. (New Scientist $) 9 Wikipedia does swag now How else will you let everyone know you love the open web? (Fast Company $)10 One of the last good apps is shutting down Mozilla is closing Pocket, its article-saving app, and the internet is worse for it. (404 Media)+ Parent company Mozilla said the way people use the web has changed. (The Verge)Quote of the day “This is like the Mount Everest of corruption.” —Senator Jeff Merkley protests outside Donald Trump’s exclusive dinner for the highest-paying customers of his personal cryptocurrency, the New York Times reports. One more thing The iPad was meant to revolutionize accessibility. What happened?On April 3, 2010, Steve Jobs debuted the iPad. What for most people was basically a more convenient form factor was something far more consequential for non-speakers: a life-­changing revolution in access to a portable, powerful communication device for just a few hundred dollars. But a piece of hardware, however impressively designed and engineered, is only as valuable as what a person can do with it. After the iPad’s release, the flood of new, easy-to-use augmentative and alternative communication apps that users were in desperate need of never came.Today, there are only around half a dozen apps, each retailing for $200 to $300, that ask users to select from menus of crudely drawn icons to produce text and synthesized speech. It’s a depressingly slow pace of development for such an essential human function. Read the full story.—Julie Kim We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + Dive into the physics behind the delicate frills of Tête de Moine cheese shavings.+ Our capacity to feel moved by music is at least partly inherited, apparently.+ Kermit the frog has delivered a moving commencement address at the University of Maryland.+ It’s a question as old as time: are clowns sexy? 🤡