Monitoring wastewater for traces of infectious diseases is giving this human byproduct a powerful new role in public health. Once used decades ago to detect poliovirus, wastewater-based epidemiology reemerged during COVID-19 and is now proving useful again in tracking measles outbreaks before cases are officially reported.A recent study led by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, UTHealth Houston, the Houston Health Department, and Rice University showed that measles virus was detected in Houston’s wastewater days before any clinical cases were confirmed. Published in the American Journal of Public Health, the findings come as measles cases rise in Texas and across the U.S.This early detection strategy may offer a new line of defense: spotting outbreaks before they spread.The Measles ComebackMeasles is a highly contagious respiratory virus spread via droplets from coughing or sneezing. Symptoms, such as fever, runny nose, and rash, can resemble other illnesses but can be deadly for young children and immunocompromised individuals.Before the vaccine’s rollout in 1968, the U.S. saw more than 300 cases per 100,000 people annually. By 2000–2009, that number fell below 0.05 per 100,000. But when vaccination rates dip below 95 percent, fresh outbreaks can return, with devastating effects.With lower vaccine uptake and an aging population, experts say stronger surveillance is needed to track this fast-spreading virus.Read More: Scientists Scour Sewage for Coronavirus CluesAnalyzing the WastewaterUsing a sequencing-based approach (a highly sensitive method for detecting viral genetic material) the research team scanned wastewater samples for measles.“In 2023, we showed that systematically sequencing the genetic material in wastewater reveals dynamic changes in human viruses circulating in a community,” said study co-author and professor at Baylor Anthony Maresso in a news release. “Importantly, analyzing these viral changes in wastewater can improve our understanding of outbreaks and transmission and inform public health preparedness, just as one uses meteorological data to better understand and predict weather patterns to anticipate potentially dangerous conditions.”In the latest study, measles virus was found in samples from two Houston treatment facilities on January 7, ten days before two travelers in the same area tested positive.“In such cases our next step is always validating the signal with a second method,” said co-first author Sara Javornik Cregeen in the release. “[The Houston Health Department and Rice University] tested for the virus presence in samples from the same date and collection site and confirmed the signal using another technique.”She added, “As a reference, the 821 Houston wastewater samples we sequenced from the same area were negative for measles virus in the previous 31 months.”Maresso noted in the press release, “Because no other cases have been reported and the detections occurred in the same area where the travelers resided, it is reasonable to assume that the measles signal detected in wastewater is from the two infected cases, which underscores the high sensitivity of the method.”Measles Vaccination Still the Best ProtectionThese results suggest measles may be shed at higher rates than previously thought, or that the team’s agnostic hybrid-capture sequencing method is especially sensitive. Likely, it’s both.The researchers are now monitoring measles activity in other Texas cities, especially in West Texas where new cases are emerging. Their results feed into a public-facing, first-of-its-kind health dashboard: tephi.texas.gov/early-detection.“This work underscores the ability of sophisticated wastewater analyses to serve as an early detection system benefiting public health,” said Eric Boerwinkle, dean of UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in the statement. However, he added, “The best protection from contracting the measles virus is the MMR vaccine, which has been shown to be safe and effective.”Beyond measles, this approach can track everything from seasonal viruses like flu and COVID-19 to emerging threats like avian H5N1 influenza. Wastewater, it turns out, may be one of our best tools for staying a step ahead of the next outbreak.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:American Journal of Public Health: Sequencing-Based Detection of Measles in Wastewater: Texas, January 2025Nature Communications: Wastewater sequencing reveals community and variant dynamics of the collective human viromeHaving worked as a biomedical research assistant in labs across three countries, Jenny excels at translating complex scientific concepts – ranging from medical breakthroughs and pharmacological discoveries to the latest in nutrition – into engaging, accessible content. Her interests extend to topics such as human evolution, psychology, and quirky animal stories. When she’s not immersed in a popular science book, you’ll find her catching waves or cruising around Vancouver Island on her longboard.

Author(s): Towards AI Editorial Team Originally published on Towards AI. Over the past two years, we’ve helped teams design and deploy real-world LLM systems — RAG pipelines, copilots that actually reduce load, PoCs that became products, and cut down hallucinations. One year ago, we decided to put everything we knew about building architectures around LLMs — the stack, the mistakes, the gotchas, the strategies — into a single guide: Building LLMs for Production — “the most comprehensive textbook to date on building LLM applications,” as Jerry Liu (Founder & CEO, LlamaIndex) put it. The response was amazing. People read it. People built with it. People shared it. But a few months in, our DMs started filling up: “Has the book been updated?” “Does it cover the latest models like o3 or Gemini 2.5?” “Can I use [X vector DB] instead?” “How do I choose the right model for my use case?” “What if I want to do [insert new approach] that isn’t in the book?” Fair. The landscape’s shifting fast. Inference got scaled. SLMs showed up. Context windows stretched. Costs dropped. Everything moved. If AI has taught us anything, it’s to think AI-first — not just to keep up, but to build in ways that scale. So instead of answering each DM (which we still do), we took a step back. And we decided to build something that answers all of it, now and as things evolve. The result? From Beginner to Advanced LLM Developer A 60+ hour, hands-on course that takes you from “I can prompt ChatGPT” → to deploying a production-grade RAG system with a real front end. But we didn’t just pack it with knowledge — we designed it to evolve with the field. Here’s what you walk away with: ✅ A repeatable pipeline that adapts with tools, not trends ✅ A deep instinct for how to think like an AI engineer ✅ Lifetime access and weekly updates as the ecosystem changes ✅ A private Slack for graduates + a 70,000+ builder community on Discord Because staying current isn’t enough — you also need confidence that what you ship today still holds tomorrow. That’s why we’re now running monthly live cohorts — so you stay sharp, supported, and up to date. The next cohort kicks off June 1 with a live welcome call with our CEO. Launch price: $249 (75 % off) — zero risk thanks to a 30-day money-back guarantee. 👉 Join the course here The results speak for themselves: “The course greatly expanded my knowledge of building and assessing RAG pipelines.” — Eoin McGrath “Best course out there to become an AI engineer. Planning to build my own startup based on the learnings.” — Abhijit L. “From zero to hero as an LLM Developer — a clear path to build LLM applications that can change your career.” — Luca Tanieli Even industry voices you know have shared support: “A resource I’ll return to again and again, no matter how fast the AI landscape shifts.” — Tina Huang, Lonely Octopus This course is for you: You know Python but haven’t taken an LLM past the notebook. If you’re frustrated by shallow tutorials and fragmented docs… If you want to build things that work, not just read about them… If you’re ready to take LLMs seriously and want a proven structure… There’s a roadmap. And it’s working. The next cohort starts June 1st. As soon as you join, you get full access to all course material — no need to wait for the live kickoff. You can start building right away. What You’ll Learn: 🧠 LLM Basics & Prompt Mastery Transformers, tokenization, and prompting that actually reduces hallucinations 🔍 Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Chunking, embedding models, re-ranking, query rewriting, eval, and feedback loops 🎨 Fine-Tuning LoRA, adapters, and domain-specific models that actually perform 🤖 Tool & API Integration Function calling, external tools, and chained agent workflows 🚀 Deployment & Cost Control Gradio, Streamlit, latency fixes, caching, logging, monitoring, cost tracking 🏆 Capstone Project & Certification Build and ship your own LLM app — get feedback, and leave with a portfolio-ready build If you’re thinking, “This sounds great, but what if it’s not for me?” — we get it. That’s why the course comes with a 30-day, no-questions-asked money-back guarantee. Try it. Dive into the material. If it doesn’t meet your expectations, we’ll refund you in full. 👉 Secure your spot for the June 1st cohort Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming a sponsor. Published via Towards AI

Archaeopteryx lived about 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Period. Although the first Archaeopteryx fossil was discovered more than 160 years ago and the prehistoric bird has been well studied, an excellent specimen has yielded new information about the species, including why it could fly so well, according to a report in the journal Nature. Painstaking preparation made the “Chicago Archaeopteryx” (named because it resides in the city’s Field Museum) the best-preserved example of the species. That amount of care meant that CT scans and imaging via UV light have yielded the most vivid Archaeopteryx pictures yet. Scientists visualized its smallest bones as well as soft tissue, including some feathers.New Archaeopteryx Flight Details EmergeIllustration showing Archaeopteryx in life, including its tertial feathers that would have helped it fly. (Image Credit: Michael Rothman)Seeing Archaeopteryx in such detail revealed a long set of feathers called tertials on the its upper arm. Those feathers also place the species more accurately on the evolutionary tree among winged dinosaurs as well as a predecessor to contemporary birds, which also have tertials. “Archaeopteryx isn’t the first dinosaur to have feathers, or the first dinosaur to have ‘wings,’" Jingmai O’Connor a curator at the museum and an author of the paper, said in a press release. “But we think it’s the earliest known dinosaur that was able to use its feathers to fly.”Ancient FlightThe scientists now think they know why Archaeopteryx was such a good flier. Archaeopteryx’s upper arm bone is much longer than those of contemporary birds. That length creates a gap between the long primary feathers and others, as well as between the wings and the body. Air passing through that gap generates lift. Contemporary birds don’t need such long arms, because evolution solved their need to create lift another way: a set of tertial feathers between the bird’s body and the rest of its wing.“Our specimen is the first Archaeopteryx that was preserved and prepared in such a way that we can see its long tertial feathers,” O’Connor said in the release. “These feathers are missing in feathered dinosaurs that are closely related to birds but aren’t quite birds. Their wing feathers stop at the elbow. That tells us that these non-avian dinosaurs couldn’t fly, but Archaeopteryx could. This also adds to evidence that suggests dinosaurs evolved flight more than once — which I think is super exciting.”Other Bird Evolutionary FeaturesImaging also revealed some other key evolutionary features. For instance, seeing details of the tiny bones in the roof of its mouth are helping scientists understand how modern birds eventually developed the ability to move their beaks independent of the part of the skull that holds their brain.“That might not sound exciting, but to people who study bird evolution, it’s really important, because it’s been hypothesized that being able to evolve specialized skulls for different ecological niches might have helped birds evolve into more than 11,000 species today,” O’Connor said in the release.Also, because the scientists got a detailed look at some of the Archaeopteryx’s soft tissues they hypothesize that it may have spent a lot of time walking on the ground, and may even have climbed trees.The Chicago Archaeopteryx fossil went on display at the Field Museum in 2024. Its tiny hollow bones are embedded in a slab of limestone. At about the size of a pigeon, it is among the smallest known fossils of the species.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

At 3DPI, our mission is to deliver high-quality journalism, technical insight, and industry intelligence to professionals across the additive manufacturing (AM) ecosystem. Whether you’re designing aerospace parts, building dental workflows, investing in next-generation materials, or shaping national AM strategy, you’re part of the reason we do this. But we want to go further. And that means hearing from you. 📋 Take the 3DPI Reader Survey We’re launching a short, focused reader survey to help us understand: What you value most in our content What’s missing How we can better serve your professional goals This is your chance to tell us: What kinds of stories or tools would help you do your job better Whether you want more technical explainers, market trend analysis, procurement tools, or vendor insights How 3DPI can improve your daily workflow—whether you’re in R&D, strategy, production, investment, or academia It takes less than 5 minutes. Your input directly informs editorial priorities and platform features. Why It Matters There’s a lot of noise in the AM space: press release churn, hype, and recycled headlines. At 3DPI, we aim to cut through that and bring you reporting, insight, and tools that actually move the needle. But to do that well, we need clarity on what you actually use, trust, and want more of. This survey helps us align what we publish with what you actually need; whether that’s: In-depth coverage of standards and regulations Real-world case studies that go beyond the brochure Technical deep dives Trend briefings or expert interviews Your voice shapes that roadmap. Thanks in advance for sharing your time and insight. We’re committed to keeping 3DPI the trusted source for professionals building the future of manufacturing. Michael Petch Michael Petch is the editor-in-chief at 3DPI and the author of several books on 3D printing. He is a regular keynote speaker at technology conferences where he has delivered presentations such as 3D printing with graphene and ceramics and the use of technology to enhance food security. Michael is most interested in the science behind emerging technology and the accompanying economic and social implications.

Square Enix game sales down but profits up as strategic shift continues Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake was cited as a highlight of the year Image credit: Square Enix News by Samuel Roberts Editorial Director Published on May 14, 2025 Square Enix has released its financial results for the year ending March 31, 2025, with a drop in net sales attributed to the lack of comparable releases to games like last year's Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Nonetheless, the company saw an increase in operating income and profit. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake also performed better than expected. The company is continuing its three-year plan – as revealed this time last year – to optimise its development operations and put quality over quantity for its future game releases, as well as prioritising multiformat development. The numbers Net sales: ¥324.5 billion ($2.22 billion, down 8.9% year-on-year) Digital entertainment sales: ¥206.54 billion ($1.42 billion, down 16.8% YoY) Operating income: ¥40.58 billion ($278.1 million, up 24.6% YoY) Profit attributable to owners of parent: ¥24.41 billion ($167.3 million, up 63.7%) The highlights HD-Games, a sub-segment of Square Enix's business that includes its main console and PC releases, dropped in net sales this year but turned profitable due to "lower development cost amortisation, advertising expenses, content valuation losses compared with the same period of the previous year." As noted, too, the latest Dragon Quest release also contributed to the positive result. Other new HD-Games releases this past year included Life is Strange: Double Exposure and Visions of Mana. The launch of Final Fantasy XIV's Dawntrail expansion increased net sales and operating income in the company's MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) Game sub-segment. Net sales and operating income declined for the Games for Smart Devices/PC Browser sub-segment, though, which Square Enix attributed to "weakness in existing titles and the recognition of royalty revenue in the previous fiscal year". This was despite the release of new game Emberstoria. Today, the company announced the cancellation of mobile title Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link on Twitter. HD-Games collectively made ¥33.87 million in operating income, up 33% from the previous year. The future Image credit: Square Enix Square Enix also provided an update on its three-year 'medium-term' business plan. "In FY2025, we fundamentally revamped our development organisation structure for domestic studios," the report read. "Based on the concept of integrated studio operations, we reviewed the entire process of title development progress management and changed to a system in which management and studios manage the development progress of all large-scale investment titles, promoting optimisation of the development portfolio and schedule, as well as talent mobility and development cost optimisation among in-house development personnel." The revised process has led to significant changes behind the scenes. "Under the new management structure, we reviewed all projects at our domestic studios, including HDG and [Smart Devices] titles, and decided to discontinue development of some titles and invest additional funds in titles that require refinement, thereby steadily implementing a strategy of selecting and concentrating development resources." "We will continue to control the scale of development investment in a disciplined manner," the company added. The report underlined the approach of going into FY27 and beyond by putting multiple games on multiple platforms and releasing major titles on a consistent basis. The company also called out the PC market as a highlight of the year when it came to catalogue sales, and a result of its new multiformat strategy. PC sales were responsible for more than a third of its Digital Entertainment sales in FY25, a double digit percentage increase on FY24. Square Enix released Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on PC in January 2025 following its 2024 PC release, and also brought the Kingdom Hearts franchise to Steam for the first time in June 2024. For FY26, Square Enix forecasts sales declining again to ¥280 billion, with operating income steady at ¥41 billion. Upcoming releases include Bravely Default Flying Fairy Remaster on Nintendo Switch 2 and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake.

Now open for entries, the Architizer Vision Awards is expanding its mission with the launch of the Visionary 100, a new global spotlight on architecture’s best concept designers, storytellers and visual thinkers. Set for publication later in 2025 and validated by Architizer’s international jury, including renowned architects such as Steven Holl, Winka Dubbeldam and Daniel Libeskind, this vital new platform will shine a light on those defining the visual culture of architecture — today and tomorrow. To apply, simply enter the 2025 Vision Awards in one or more of the 50+ available categories. Every Winner in this year’s program is guaranteed a place in the Visionary 100, an exclusive editorial directory that will be updated each season and republished annually. Firms, individual professionals and students are eligible for inclusion. The Vision Awards Main Entry Period is open for just 4 weeks, so don’t miss out: Start your Vision Awards submission to secure a place in the running for the Visionary 100 and a host of other prizes for your work! Apply for the Visionary 100 Photograph by Kevin Scott, 2023 Vision Awards Special Mention, Architectural Photographer of the Year. Why the Visionary 100 Matters Featured on Architizer.com and shared with our audience of 4.75 million+ architects, clients and collaborators, this is your chance to be recognized for how you think and communicate about design, from the smallest details to the most ambitious concepts for buildings, cities and beyond. Architecture is evolving at breakneck speed, and so too is the way it’s communicated. The Visionary 100 will serve as a critical reference point for editors, curators, clients, and design leaders seeking to understand and celebrate who is shaping the visual culture of architecture today—and who will shape it tomorrow. This widely published feature will be more than a list: It will form a launchpad for architectural discourse and a benchmark for the next generation of creative leaders. Whether you’re an independent visualizer or part of an international design firm, inclusion in the Visionary 100 signals that your work is setting the pace for the profession. Start My Entry Select Winners and Finalists from Architizer One X Challenges and the inaugural Vision Awards. See the complete 2023 Vision Awards Winners’ Gallery here. A Program Built for Creative Thinkers Each winner of the 2025 Vision Awards, across every category, will automatically earn a place in the Visionary 100. The Vision Awards span three key category groups: Architectural Concept – Honoring bold, unbuilt proposals that reimagine the future of housing, cities, sustainability, and more, using up to six visuals to communicate each project. Architectural Vision – Celebrating single images and videos that capture the essence of architecture through renderings, photography, film, drawing, and physical models. Architectural Visionary – Recognizing firms and creators for outstanding portfolios of work across their chosen medium. Explore the categories in full here. Each submission will be judged by a world-class jury of architects, designers, and visual communication experts, with a strong focus on concept, clarity, innovation, and visual impact. See the judging criteria here. Share My Vision Select Winners and Finalists from Architizer One X Challenges and the inaugural Vision Awards. See the complete 2023 Vision Awards Winners’ Gallery here. Join a Global Festival of Ideas Architecture’s future is being written not only in buildings, but in the bold images, ideas, and narratives that shape how we understand our environment. Architizer created the Vision Awards to celebrate this vital part of design culture — the powerful act of envisioning what architecture can be. In addition to their inclusion in this key publication, select visionaries will be invited for exclusive editorial interviews, offering deeper insight into their creative process and the ideas driving their practice. Sound good? We thought so! Submit your work to the 2025 Vision Awards today and earn your place in the Visionary 100 — an essential index of design excellence for the years to come. Start My Entry The post The Visionary 100: Take Your Place Among Architecture’s Top 100 Creative Leaders appeared first on Journal.

Real-world journeys that blend digital, physical, and emotional touchpointsAt the very beginning, there were no templatesWhen e-commerce first took off, every website was a handcrafted experience. Brands hired developers to code their stores from scratch, pouring hours into every layout decision and line of code. It was messy, expensive, and full of quirks — but each site had a personality. No two stores looked alike, and that uniqueness helped brands stand out (for better or worse).Then came the era of standardization. Platforms like Shopify and Magento made it easy to spin up an online store in hours, not months. Templates took over, and with them came the rise of best practices, grid systems, and polished uniformity. This shift was supported by principles like Jakob’s Law, which tells us that users spend most of their time on other sites — so experiences should feel familiar. It was the golden age of efficiency — just not of originality. But now, the pendulum is swinging back. More and more brands are breaking free from the template mold, crafting distinctive, memorable experiences that turn browsing into something closer to brand theatre. Conversion matters — but so does character.Luxury is leading character-based e-commerceWhile living in Shanghai, I saw firsthand how luxury brands embraced digital experiences without compromising their identity. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Prada proved that people were willing to buy high-ticket items online, long before it became the norm. I still remember the buzz when someone in Shanghai bought a Ferrari online. It was a wake-up call: e-commerce had matured.Luxury brands, especially in China, began investing in beautifully crafted websites that didn’t just sell — they told stories. They became pioneers of what best-in-class online shopping could feel like. Before diving into broader industry examples, let’s look at a few luxury sites that show how to combine simplicity, usability, and brand immersion.Louis Vuitton offers a seamless journey through thousands of products while maintaining an elegant, editorial aesthetic. It’s a smart balance of information density and calm navigation that respects the user’s cognitive load.Celine made a bold move with a unique left-side navigation that breaks convention without breaking usability — bringing core controls within easy reach and inviting curiosity through layout.Dior invites you to explore the craftsmanship behind its products before nudging you toward e-commerce. This thoughtful sequence taps into the Peak-End Rule: people remember the emotional peak and the ending, not every step. Dior ensures both are on-brand and memorable.Louis Vuitton’s website combines seamless site loading with elegant visuals and best in class navigation.Celine came up with a unique left side navigation.Dior wants you to first see how their bags are handcrafted before even going into the ecommerce section.Delightful Experiences Powered by Modern TechToday (in 2025), designing great e-commerce experiences is both more challenging and more exciting than ever. Why? Because we now have more tools at our disposal — AI-powered chatbots, recommendation engines, immersive video, and more. But technology alone isn’t enough. It takes smart experience design to turn these tools into something customers truly value.Dior — Recovering from “Out of Stock” with GraceWhen a friend of mine rushed to Dior’s website after seeing their new foundation stick on TikTok, it was already sold out. Instead of a dead end, the site invited her to leave her email for a restock alert. The next day, she received an email with a direct link to her shade, picked “pick up in store,” and shortly after, got a personalized WhatsApp message from a Beauty Advisor. Dior turned a moment of friction into an orchestrated omnichannel success story — from anonymous browser to known customer (capturing someone’s email on your site should be one of your key objectives).Dior’s “Alert me” CTA leads to an email capture.Oysho — Communicating Lifestyle & QualityOysho is a masterclass in how to blend emotional connection with functional UX. The website immerses you in a world of wellness, movement, and slow fashion. It’s not just about the products; it’s about how you’ll feel wearing them. Their art direction — light-filled photography, calm color palettes, and minimal design — reinforces a brand identity centered on mindful living.From a UX perspective, the site is quietly brilliant. Returning users immediately see their order status, creating a sense of continuity (and reducing anxiety). Gift-wrapping flows and personalized messages add thoughtful delight, while back-in-stock alerts close the loop with zero friction.Gifting options on Oysho include a personal message, gift wrapping and not including the cost of the purchase. Very thoughtful.The site does an excellent job of communicating the functional benefits of their clothing — like breathable or high-resistance fabrics — using clean, unobtrusive icons. These subtle visual cues enhance decision-making without adding friction, creating a sense of trust and product clarity. It’s a design tactic Uniqlo also uses effectively, especially for their tech-enhanced basics, where innovation needs to be conveyed clearly but without overwhelming the shopper.Oysho strikes a perfect balance between inspire and shopping.In doing so, Oysho taps into the Aesthetic-Usability Effect — the perception that beautiful interfaces are more usable, which increases patience and satisfaction even when minor issues arise.Uniqlo — The Online/Offline QueenUniqlo continues to quietly disrupt the fashion world with a digital ecosystem that just works. The brilliance lies not in bells and whistles, but in a frictionless, service-oriented approach that integrates online convenience with in-store immediacy.Here’s what sets Uniqlo apart:Check store inventory in real-time, down to color and size — even when you’re in-store. Using the app, you can scan a product tag to instantly see which sizes or colors are available nearby.Reserve online, pick up in store the same day — a perfect blend of impulse and instant gratification.RFID self-checkout in physical stores is almost magical: just drop your clothes into the checkout tray, and everything is automatically scanned. No barcodes. No awkward folding. Just out.Membership benefits are effortlessly cross-channel — simply scan your member code from the app, and you’re recognized whether shopping online or in person. It’s a seamless loyalty experience that doesn’t ask customers to jump through hoops.Behind all this is a Uniqlo does this beautifully, absorbing backend complexity to offer a surprisingly intuitive customer journey.Making the checkout very simple while capturing the users membership information to connect offline to online experiences.Same day click and collect make it convenient to order online things that I can pick up later when I go out for lunch with is close to a Uniqlo store and don’t have to wait for it to be delivered to my home.Starbucks — Best-Value Membership ExperienceStarbucks has created a digital flywheel powered by simplicity and consistency. Everything revolves around one app. It’s your loyalty card, your payment tool, your order-ahead assistant, your offer inbox — and your direct line to perks. It all feels effortless, but that’s precisely the point. Compare that to other retailers who force you to log into a website just to check your points — assuming you even remember your password. Starbucks eliminates those micro-frustrations entirely.And because it’s a native app, it taps into core mobile capabilities — like GPS for finding nearby stores, integrated payment, and real-time push notifications — without ever feeling like it’s trying too hard. This kind of thoughtful integration is exactly what makes omnichannel UX feel natural, fluid, and genuinely useful.The loyalty system is brilliantly simple: earn one star per dollar, unlock rewards. That’s no accident — it’s the Endowed Progress Effect at play. By giving users visible progress toward a reward, they’re far more likely to stay engaged and repeat behavior.Even better, the app is context-aware. It remembers your preferences, tailors offers, and knows your go-to store. It’s a prime example of personalization that empowers, not overwhelms.Starbucks Loyalty Points System — You always get rewardedNike — Personalization at ScaleNike has been one of the standout players in making personalization feel purposeful. Their site and emails adapt to your browsing and buying habits, surfacing just the right styles, sizes, and drops at the right time.This isn’t just smart targeting, Nike speeds up decision-making and makes the experience feel curated rather than crowded.Nike Personalised Newsletter ScreenshotMovie Theatres — What Not to DoTo truly appreciate great digital experiences, sometimes it helps to look at the frustrating ones. Buying a movie ticket online can still feel like dropdown-menu bingo: toggle between times, dates, locations, screen sizes, and seat availability until you’ve clicked yourself into submission. Then brace for upsells, fees, and a confusing confirmation page.And yet — movies are all about emotion, immersion, and excitement. Why doesn’t the digital journey reflect any of that? Imagine a platform that knows your favorite genres and actors, recommends the perfect showtimes, remembers your seat preferences, and rewards you with season passes or early access to premieres. Why not offer family bundles, VIP red carpet nights, or mood-based movie suggestions?There’s so much opportunity here to create something magical. Instead, most theatre sites treat ticketing like a utility — transactional, impersonal, and joyless. It’s a missed chance to design for passion.Closing ThoughtsWhile we now have more advanced tools than ever — from AI and real-time data to responsive frameworks — great customer experiences still don’t happen automatically. It takes skilled UX and CX designers to ask the right questions, map the right journeys, and infuse every digital touchpoint with brand identity and human insight.The best e-commerce experiences today don’t just convert. They connect. They inspire. They make people feel something. And that’s where design makes all the difference.Great CX isn’t just built. It’s designed — thoughtfully, intentionally, and with the end user at heart.Here a couple of resources that are worth exploring.Blurring boundaries: The online-offline fusion in Tech & Durables retailIn-Store & Online: Designing For the Changing Behaviors of Today's ShoppersNielsen Bridges Online and Offline Behaviors with Innovative Cross-Platform Offering5 brands that nail the art of omnichannel UX was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Donald Trump inaugure sa tournée au Moyen-Orient en grande pompe. Son premier voyage majeur depuis son retour dans le bureau ovale a débuté...

The New AI Model Paradox: When “Upgrades” Feel Like Downgrades (Claude 3.7) 0 like May 14, 2025 Share this post Last Updated on May 14, 2025 by Editorial Team Author(s): Mandar Karhade, MD. PhD. Originally published on Towards AI. The Allure of the New is misleading when the speed of development is too fast! The tech world buzzes with excitement each time a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) model is unveiled. We’re conditioned to expect these digital brains to be significantly faster, demonstrably smarter, and unequivocally better than their predecessors. Companies fuel this anticipation with announcements of major breakthroughs, showcasing impressive demonstrations that promise to revolutionize how we work, create, and interact. It’s easy to get swept up in this wave of optimism and believe that each new release is a universal leap forward. But what happens when the shiny new AI, despite all the fanfare and positive press, doesn’t quite live up to the hype for your specific, day-to-day needs? What if, for your particular use case, it feels less like an upgrade and more like an unexpected step backward? This is a situation an increasing number of users are finding themselves in. It’s a phenomenon that prompts a deeper reflection on what “better” truly means in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and highlights that progress isn’t always a straight line for everyone. Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash New AI models often launch accompanied by bold claims of vastly improved capabilities, frequently backed by strong performances on standardized benchmarks. We see statistics showing the AI… Read the full blog for free on Medium. Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming a sponsor. Published via Towards AI Towards AI - Medium Share this post

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre game will no longer be supported as studio reaches "natural creative end" The game will remain listed on storefronts Image credit: Gun Interactive News by Samuel Roberts Editorial Director Published on May 14, 2025 Developer Gun Interactive is winding down work on asymmetric multiplayer horror game The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, with the game no longer receiving any future content or support after May 2025. The reasoning, given by the studio in a message to players, is that it feels it's "seen The Texas Chain Saw Massacre fully realised". The game was released in August 2023. "This means that there will be no more DLC, balance updates, or bug fixes, after our upcoming May patch," read the message. "You can still expect a few more patches in the future in order to transition towards peer-to-peer matchmaking." Unlike some licensed games which disappear from digital stores once live-service support has been discontinued – Marvel's Avengers, for example – The Texas Chain Saw Massacre will remain available. "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre will still be playable and is NOT being delisted from store fronts," continued the message. "Our community team will continue to interact with our players as we continue to celebrate The Texas Chain Saw Massacre with all of you who love this game just as much as we do." The move has led to review-bombing from some Steam users. According to Steam Charts, concurrents in the game peaked at 1,677 in April. Gun Interactive made its decision-making process clear at the end of the statement. "As a creative studio, it’s imperative to communicate that we’ve seen this vision through to the natural creative end." The studio also teased that work on its next project is ongoing, saying it's "ready to continue to do what we do best… make your favorite horror games".