In the quiet streets of Tottenham, London, a modest 1970s clergy house has been reimagined as an environmentally conscious family home, cloaked in the textured warmth of cork. Known as Nina’s House, the transformation was led by design studio Nina+Co in partnership with ROAR Architects, demonstrating how regenerative materials and thoughtful design can be used to turn a passive facade into an engaging and high-performing community landmark. At the heart of this “deep retrofit” is cork, a material considered as poetic in its physical presence as it is powerful in its technical performance. Once cold and uninspiring, the building has been made to radiate warmth, curiosity, and intention, as it has been covered entirely in expanded cork panels. Dark, mottled, and tactile, this natural cladding is made to invite the hands of schoolchildren, the questions of neighbors, and the admiration of passersby. Designer: Nina+Co and ROAR Architects The use of cork in architecture represents a shift toward biomaterials that are both high-performing and sensorially engaging. As a material, cork combines sustainability with durability, offering a renewable alternative to synthetics while delivering superior insulation. It reduces the building’s embodied carbon and enhances its energy efficiency, making it a strategic material choice for climate-resilient design. Cork, which is harvested from the bark of cork oak trees, is known as a renewable and biodegradable material with strong insulation properties. In Nina’s House, expanded cork was chosen for its regenerative farming practices, zero synthetic binders, and minimal build-up requirements; no plastic membranes or toxic adhesives were included. Its low-impact manufacturing process uses only heat to expand the cork, further emphasizing its role in environmentally responsible construction. According to Nina Woodcroft, founder of Nina+Co, cork stands out as a natural material that is not only effective but also appeals to the senses. She emphasized her fascination with cork’s scent, feel, and sustainable story, noting that this project used cork for both function and visual impact. The house, she explained, was intentionally wrapped in a breathable and insulating material to offer both environmental performance and gentle street presence. Cork’s application at Nina’s House challenges the misconception that natural materials are limited to rustic or niche aesthetics. Instead, it demonstrates how cork can serve as a contemporary architectural finish, one that ages gracefully and contributes to long-term resilience. Rather than extend the home, the existing footprint was maximized. The ground floor layout was opened up, and the small garage and porch were brought into the thermal envelope, so that a sense of flow and cohesion was created. Budget was directed toward infrastructure: the gas supply was removed, underfloor heating and an air-source heat pump were installed, airtightness was improved, and all glazing was replaced with high-performance alternatives, including suspended film technology and triple glazing. Expanded cork was made to play a starring role both outside and in. On the facade, it is used as an insulating skin; inside, cork can also be seen in flooring, while walls have been finished with lime-based plaster containing cork granules. In areas where external insulation was not possible, these lime plasters were applied to provide an internal thermal buffer. The decision to leave some internal surfaces raw and sealed with a non-toxic glaze was made both for stylistic and economical reasons, so that practicality could be blended with beauty. Cork’s versatility enables it to be used beyond cladding. Its acoustic properties make it ideal for interior finishes, especially in homes that aim to be peaceful and meditative. It also helps regulate humidity and temperature indoors, supporting healthier living environments. Throughout the house, reclaimed and local materials have been used to reflect a low-waste, high-value design ethos. Pine floorboards that were removed for structural work were reworked into ceiling cladding. A statement kitchen island, designed by Woodcroft, was crafted by local artisans from a London Plane tree that had been felled in Soho Square, an urban tree that was given new life by the organization Fallen & Felled. The kitchen also features recycled plastic countertops, by which the home’s dedication to circularity is echoed. All joinery was made ultra-locally using British Douglas Fir tri-ply board, thereby showing how sustainable design can be used to support local economies while reducing carbon impact. The cork cladding is expected to last between 15 to 25 years. When its surface has weathered, lime render will be applied over it, so that its life can be extended while its appearance is subtly altered. This long-term approach reflects a preference for resilience over superficial finishes. Cork’s biodegradability also ensures that it can return safely to the earth at the end of its lifecycle, reinforcing the circular logic behind its use. In total, Nina’s House measures 112 m² (1,206 ft²), modest in scale but grand in vision. Its open-plan layout has been designed to support a young family’s dynamic lifestyle, with zones for connection and quiet being offered. Movement, gathering, and even dancing are encouraged, so that sustainability can be felt less like a constraint and more like freedom.The post This 1970s House Gets a Sustainable Cork Makeover And It’s Disrupting London Architecture first appeared on Yanko Design. Source: https://www.yankodesign.com/2025/05/13/this-1970s-house-gets-a-sustainable-cork-makeover-and-its-disrupting-london-architecture/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=this-1970s-house-gets-a-sustainable-cork-makeover-and-its-disrupting-london-architecture #this #1970s #house #gets #sustainable #cork #makeover #and #its #disrupting #london #architecture

Ask almost any pediatrician or child expert, and they will tell you: Good nutrition is the foundation for healthy development, especially during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. When children are well-nourished, they are better able to grow, learn, and engage with their communities, and to be resilient in the face of illness.      Undernutrition is linked to nearly half of all deaths in children under five. Today, an estimated 148 million young children are affected by stunting—being too short for their age as a result of chronic undernutrition, often starting in the womb. Stunting isn’t just about height; it reflects lasting setbacks in brain development, immune strength, and overall health—consequences that can limit a child’s potential for life. Another 45 million children suffer from wasting, a life-threatening condition where they are dangerously thin for their height. There is enough food in the world to feed all children everywhere, and yet, we are still not on track to achieve global nutrition targets by 2030.    We are facing a pivotal moment for the world’s children. Poverty, climate change, and humanitarian crises pose critical challenges to feeding children sustainably. The sheer magnitude of the obstacles can seem overwhelming, but there is incredible news: The child nutrition crisis is completely solvable, if we come together to scale up sustainable solutions.    A core part of UNICEF’s work is preventing malnutrition by improving children’s and women’s access to nutritious, safe, affordable, and sustainable diets. We know what to do, but we need financing, at the right time, directed at the right places.   A solution aimed at ending child undernutrition   The Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), led by UNICEF, is changing how we tackle child undernutrition—by making funding smarter, more coordinated, and built to scale. The CNF unlocks government investment by pooling global resources and expanding access to proven solutions. The ambition is bold: Reach 320 million women and children every year by 2030. To make that happen, the CNF is working to mobilize $2 billion over the next five years—inviting partners to help drive lasting, system-level change for the world’s most vulnerable children.   The CNF is a massive undertaking that has the potential to change the lives of millions of children and women. With reductions in foreign aid putting more children at risk than ever, innovative partnerships—like the one driving the CNF—are even more urgent.   A partnership effort to realize impact   Achieving goals at this scale means involving some of the world’s most influential people and organizations. The support of founding partners such as the Gates Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FDCO) of the UK government has been critical. For example, the Gates Foundation’s initial $70 million contribution supported CNF’s development and launch, opened conversations for initial deals on scaling up maternal nutrition services, and helped local therapeutic food manufacturers expand production to meet unprecedented demand. Likewise, the respective $79 million and £21 million investments from the CIFF and FDCO to date demonstrate the catalytic nature of the fund and the necessity of partnership to meet its goals.   Momentum for the CNF continued at the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in Paris in March, where Kirk Humanitarian committed the first pledge of $125 million to accelerate adoption of prenatal supplements in high burden countries that have demonstrated readiness and political commitment for long-term, sustainable scale up. Kirk Humanitarian has already deployed over $34 million for 16 million bottles of prenatal supplements to the CNF in support of UNICEF’s Improving Maternal Nutrition Acceleration Plan. At the same time, the Gates Foundation announced an additional $50 million commitment to the CNF to continue and expand on its work through 2028.   Also at the N4G, Jackie and Mike Bezos committed up to $500 million to the CNF in a landmark effort to end child undernutrition. This historic investment is poised to save millions of lives—not just today, but for generations to come. The matching component of their commitment is intended to inspire others to step up and multiply the impact.   The Women’s Tennis Association Foundation has also joined the effort, supporting the CNF through UNICEF’s Improving Maternal Nutrition Acceleration Plan to prevent anemia and malnutrition in pregnant women.   These partnerships support the CNF’s ability to build robust and sustainable systems and strong infrastructure to create a future where no child suffers from undernutrition.  Promising early results show that it is possible to end undernutrition   These investments are already delivering results. In Pakistan, UNICEF, backed by the CNF, launched a program to bring essential nutrition and health services to the country’s most vulnerable communities. Through the CNF Match Window—which enables governments to double their investments in essential nutrition supplies—more than 150,000 women received nutritional supplements leading to healthier pregnancies and stronger birth outcomes. The results were so compelling that Pakistan’s Ministry of Health partnered with UNICEF to scale up the program to reach 2 million women.    We’ve known for a long time the devastating toll malnutrition has on a child’s ability to live a healthy, full life. But with the CNF, what once felt insurmountable now has a clear path forward. By reimagining how we finance solutions—blending public and private investment, sustaining long-term support, and incentivizing government action—we’re not just responding to a crisis, we’re building a system designed to end it. The tools are in place. The momentum is real. And now, there’s an opportunity for bold partners to come together and change the future. With the right investments, we will end child undernutrition—for good.   Michele Walsh is executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer of UNICEF USA.   Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91333579/imagine-a-future-where-no-child-dies-of-undernutrition #imagine #future #where #child #dies #undernutrition

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Google reveals several new safety features coming to Android users Pradeep Viswanathan Neowin @pradeepviswav · May 13, 2025 21:10 EDT Along with the official launch of the Material 3 Expressive design language, Google today revealed several new safety and security features coming to Android users, including improved AI-powered Scam Detection, a revamped Find My Device experience, and more. Google launched AI-powered Scam Detection last year to block suspicious package delivery and job-seeking scams for Google Messages users. Today, Google announced that the AI-powered Scam Detection can now detect dangerous crypto and financial scams, toll road scams, gift card scams, and more. Even with this expanded scam detection coverage, this feature works completely offline on an Android device. When you are on a phone call, Android now has new in-call protections that will prevent users from performing the following: Disabling Google Play Protect, Android’s built-in security protection, which is on by default and continuously scans for malicious app behavior, no matter the download source. Sideloading an app for the first time from a web browser, messaging app, or other source – which may not have been vetted for security and privacy by Google. Granting accessibility permissions, which can give a newly downloaded malicious app access to gain control over the user's device and steal sensitive/private data, like banking information. To identify scammers who try to impersonate someone, Google has come up with a new tool called Key Verifier. This new feature offers a visual way for users and their contacts to easily confirm that their public keys match before starting their conversation. This new tool will be available later this summer in Google Messages on Android 10+ devices. Google is improving the theft protection feature that was launched last year. With the upcoming update, Android will restrict all functionalities on devices that are reset without the owner’s authorization. Android will also improve the Remote Lock feature with a new security challenge question to prevent unauthorized actions by thieves. Android's Find My Device app allows users to easily locate their devices and tagged items. Google is rebranding Find My Device as Find Hub with support for more compatible devices and Bluetooth tags. For devices and carriers with satellite connectivity, Find Hub will help users stay connected even when the mobile network is unavailable. Similar to iOS, Android will also get the ability to easily share your Bluetooth tag's location with airlines early next year to locate your lost baggage. Finally, Google is improving the Advanced Protection feature with the release of Android 16. New improvements include Intrusion Logging, USB protection, the option to disable auto-reconnect to insecure networks, and integration with Scam Detection for Phone by Google. Tags Report a problem with article Follow @NeowinFeed Source: https://www.neowin.net/news/google-reveals-several-new-safety-features-coming-to-android-users/ #google #reveals #several #new #safety #features #coming #android #users

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Generative AI is creating a digital diaspora of techniques, technologies and tradecraft that everyone, from rogue attackers to nation-state cyber armies trained in the art of cyberwar, is adopting. Insider threats are growing, too, accelerated by job insecurity and growing inflation. All these challenges and more fall on the shoulders of the CISO, and it’s no wonder more are dealing with burnout. In Part 1: We explored how gen AI is reshaping the threat landscape, accelerating insider threats and putting unprecedented pressure on cybersecurity teams. Insider-driven risks, shadow AI usage and outdated detection models are forcing CISOs to rethink their defenses.Now, in Part 2, we turn to the solutions — how gen AI can help combat burnout across security operations centers (SOCs), enable smarter automation and guide CISOs through a 90-day roadmap to secure their enterprises against evolving threats. Battling burnout with gen AI deserves to be a 2025 CISO priority Nearly one in four CISOs consider quitting, with 93% citing extreme stress, further proving that burnout is creating increasingly severe operational and human risks. Gartner’s most recent research links burnout to decreased team efficiency and overlooked security tasks that often become vulnerabilities. Unsurprisingly, 90% of CISOs identify burnout as one of the main barriers that stand in the way of their teams getting more accomplished and using the full extent of their skills. How bad is burnout across cybersecurity and SOC teams? The majority of CISOs, 65%, say that burnout is a severe impediment to maintaining effective security operations. Forrester adds that 36% of the cybersecurity workforce are categorized as “Tired Rockstars,” or individuals who remain highly engaged but are on the brink of burnout. This emphasizes the critical need to address mental health and workload management proactively.​ SOC analysts endure heavy workloads that often turn severe when they have to monitor, analyze and aggregate insights from an average of over 10,000+ alerts a day. Chronic stress and not having enough control over their jobs lead to high turnover, with 65% considering leaving their careers. Ivanti’s 2024 Digital Employee Experience (DEX) Report underscores a vital cybersecurity link, noting that 93% of professionals agree improved DEX strengthens security, yet just 13% prioritize it. Ivanti SVP Daren Goeson told VentureBeat in a recent interview that “organizations often lack effective tools to measure digital employee experience, significantly slowing security and productivity initiatives.” SOC teams are particularly hard hit by burnout. While AI can’t solve the entire challenge, it can help automate SOC workflows and accelerate triage. Forrester is urging CISOs to think beyond automating existing processes and move forward with rationalizing security controls, deploying gen AI within existing platforms. Jeff Pollard, VP at Forrester, writes: “The only way to deal with the volatility your organization encounters is to simplify your control stack while identifying unnecessary duplicate spend and gen AI can boost productivity, but negotiating its pricing strategically will help you achieve more with less.” There are over 16 vendors of new-gen AI-based apps aimed at helping SOC teams that are in a race against time every day, especially when it comes to containing breakout times. CrowdStrike’s recent global threat report emphasizes why SOCs need to always have their A-game, as adversaries now break out within 2 minutes and 7 seconds after gaining initial access. Their recent introduction of Charlotte AI Detection Triage has proven capable of automating alert assessment with over 98% accuracy. It cuts manual triage by more than 40 hours per week, all without losing control or precision. SOCs increasingly lean on AI copilots to fight signal overload and staffing shortfalls. VentureBeat’s Security Copilot Guide (Google Sheet) provides a complete matrix with 16 vendors’ AI security copilots. What needs to be on every CISO’s roadmap in 2025 Cybersecurity leaders and their teams have significant influence on how, when and what gen AI applications and platforms their enterprises invest in. Gartner’s Phillip Shattan writes that “when it comes to generation AI-related decisions, SRM leaders wield significant influence, with over 70% reporting that cybersecurity has some influence over the decisions they make.” With so much influence on the future of gen AI investment in their organizations, CISOs need to have a solid framework or roadmap against which to plan. VentureBeat is seeing more roadmaps comparable to the one structured below for ensuring the integration of gen AI, cybersecurity and risk management initiatives. The following is a guideline that needs to be tailored to the unique needs of a business: Days 0–30: Establish core cybersecurity foundations 1. Set the goal of defining the structure and role of an AI governance framework Define formal AI policies outlining responsible data use, model training protocols, privacy controls and ethical standards. Vendors to consider: IBM AI Governance, Microsoft Purview, ServiceNow AI Governance, AWS AI Service Cards If not already in place, deploy real-time AI monitoring tools to detect unauthorized usage, anomalous behaviors and data leakage from models. Recommended platforms: Robust Intelligence, CalypsoAI, HiddenLayer, Arize AI, Credo AI, Arthur AI Train SOC, security and risk management teams on the AI-specific risks to alleviate any conflicts over how AI governance frameworks are designed to work. 2. If not already in place, get a solid Identity and Access Management (IAM) platform in place Keep building a business case for zero trust by illustrating how improving identity protection helps protect and grow revenue. Deploy a robust IAM solution to reinforce identity protection and revenue security. Top IAM platforms: If not already done, immediately conduct comprehensive audits of all user identities, focusing particularly on privileged access accounts. Enable real-time monitoring for all privileged access accounts and delete unused accounts for contractors. Implement strict least-privilege access policies, multi-factor authentication (MFA) and continuous adaptive authentication based on contextual risk assessments to strengthen your zero-trust framework. Leading Zero-Trust solutions include CrowdStrike Falcon Identity Protection, Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange, Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access, Cisco Duo Security and Cloudflare Zero Trust. Establish real-time monitoring and behavioral analytics to identify and reduce insider threats rapidly. Insider threat detection leaders: Proofpoint Insider Threat Management, Varonis DatAdvantage, Forcepoint Insider Threat, DTEX Systems, Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management. Days 31–60: Accelerate Proactive Security Operations 1. Replace manual patch workflows with an automated patch management systems Your organization needs to move beyond fire drills and severity-based patch cycles to a continuous, real-time vulnerability monitoring and patch deployment strategy. AI is helping cut the risks of breaches with patch management. Six in ten breaches are linked to unpatched vulnerabilities. The majority of IT leaders responding to a Ponemon Institute survey, 60%, say that one or more of the breaches potentially occurred because a patch was available for a known vulnerability but not applied in time. Leading automated patch management vendors: Ivanti Neurons for Patch Management, Qualys Patch Management, Tanium Patch Management, CrowdStrike Falcon Spotlight, Rapid7 InsightVM. Implement automated tools prioritizing patches based on active exploitation, threat intelligence insights and business-critical asset prioritization. Establish transparent processes for immediate response to emerging threats, drastically reducing exposure windows. 2. Initiate comprehensive Cyber Risk Quantification (CRQ) If not already in progress in your organization, start evaluating the value of CRQ frameworks in improving how cybersecurity risks are measured and communicated in financial and business impact terms. Trusted CRQ solutions: BitSight, SecurityScorecard, Axio360, RiskLens, MetricStream, Safe Security, IBM Security Risk Quantification Services. Test out a CRQ by creating a detailed risk dashboard for executives and stakeholders, linking cybersecurity investments directly to strategic business outcomes. Conduct regular CRQ assessments to inform proactive security spending and resource allocation decisions clearly and strategically. Days 61–90: Keep optimizing security efficiency to fuel greater team resilience 1. Consolidate and Integrate Security Tools Audit existing cybersecurity tools, eliminating redundancies and streamlining capabilities into fewer, fully integrated platforms. Comprehensive integrated platforms: Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR, Microsoft Sentinel, CrowdStrike Falcon Platform, Splunk Security Cloud, Cisco SecureX, Trellix XDR, Arctic Wolf Security Operations Cloud. Check for strong interoperability and reliable integration among cybersecurity tools to improve threat detection, response times and overall operational efficiency. Regularly review and adjust consolidated toolsets based on evolving threat landscapes and organizational security needs. 2. Implement structured burnout mitigation and automation Starting in the SOC, leverage AI-driven automation to offload repetitive cybersecurity tasks, including triage, log analysis, vulnerability scanning and initial threat triage, significantly reducing manual workloads. Recommended SOC automation tools: CrowdStrike Falcon Fusion, SentinelOne Singularity XDR, Microsoft Defender & Copilot, Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR, Ivanti Neurons for Security Operations Establish structured recovery protocols, mandating cooldown periods and rotation schedules after major cybersecurity incidents to reduce analyst fatigue. Define a balanced, regular cadence of ongoing cybersecurity training, mental well-being initiatives, and institutionalized burnout mitigation practices to sustain long-term team resilience and efficiency. Automation and burnout mitigation vendors: Tines, Torq.io, Swimlane, Chronicle Security Operations Suite (Google Cloud), LogicHub SOAR+, Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR Conclusion With modest budget and headcount increases, CISOs and their teams are being called to defend more threat vectors than ever. Many tell VentureBeat it’s a continual balancing act that demands more time, training, and trade-offs on which legacy apps stay and which go, all defining how their future tech stack will look. CISOs who see gen AI as a strategic technology that can help unify and close gaps in security infrastructure are thorough in their vetting of new apps and tools before they go into production. While gen AI continues to fuel new adversarial AI techniques and tradecraft, cybersecurity vendors respond by accelerating the development of next-generation products. Paradoxically, the more advanced threatcraft becomes with adversarial AI, the more critical it becomes for defenders adopting AI to pursue and perfect human-in-the-middle designs that can flex and adapt to changing threats. Daily insights on business use cases with VB Daily If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI. Read our Privacy Policy Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here. An error occured. Source: https://venturebeat.com/ai/what-your-tools-miss-at-213-am-how-gen-ai-attack-chains-exploit-telemetry-lag-part-2/ #what #your #tools #miss #how #gen #attack #chains #exploit #telemetry #lag #part

Tesla has shared a new video showing its Optimus humanoid robot pulling some rather impressive dance moves. While the nifty footwork might not be much use for the industrial settings that the robot is destined for, the 60-second clip effectively showcases its increasing agility and lifelike range of motion. The clip comes a day after Optimus boss Milan Kovac said in an online post that his robotics team “has been working very hard in the background.” Recommended Videos Kovac added that for the dancing, Optimus, also known as the Tesla Bot, was trained entirely in simulation, with reinforcement learning. He also noted that the cable in the second clip was in place “in case of a fall” and was not actually holding the robot. Related The third generation of the Tesla Bot was unveiled in March 2025. It features significant design and functional upgrades that include a 22-degree-of-freedom hand (up from 11 in previous versions), self-recharging capability, and advanced AI that allows the robot to learn tasks like a human rather than relying on traditional programming. Tesla chief Elon Musk has previously said that “thousands” of the robots could one day work alongside human staff at Tesla factories in the next year or two, taking care of “dangerous, repetitive, [and] boring tasks.” There are also plans for a commercial launch, with Musk claiming that Optimus could one day potter around the home as a household helper, or even “babysit your kid, walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks.” At $20,000 a pop, it won’t come cheap, though there’s also been talk of offering a more affordable rental service. For decades we’ve been promised advanced, intelligent, and truly useful humanoid robots, and now the technology appears to be finally delivering. Tesla is now in a rapidly developing global race to build a practical humanoid robot, with major players such as Tesla, Figure AI, Apptronik, and Boston Dynamics competing alongside a string of impressive Chinese rivals.  Companies in the sector are keen to move toward mass production in a bid to address labor shortages and automate repetitive or dangerous tasks. While challenges like cost, safety, and real-world complexity remain, there’s a growing possibility that in the next few years, humanoid robots could enter the workplace — and even everyday life — at an unprecedented scale. Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/watch-teslas-humanoid-robot-pulling-some-nifty-dance-moves/ #watch #teslas #humanoid #robot #pulling #some #snappy #dance #moves

Why it matters: Efforts to reverse-engineer source code from retro console games to create native PC ports have intensified in recent years. Most completed projects have brought high resolutions, modding capabilities, and other enhancements to titles from the Nintendo 64 era and earlier. However, recent breakthroughs have begun to make more advanced platforms, like the GameCube and Xbox 360, increasingly accessible. Mario Party 4 is set to become the first GameCube title to receive a full decompilation, paving the way for unofficial PC ports. Unlike emulation, reverse engineering retro games offers modders significantly more flexibility when making modifications or adapting classics to new platforms. As MattKC Bytes explains in the video below, the decompilation of Mario Party 4 is over 99 percent complete, with only a few complex functions remaining. While decompilation alone doesn't produce a PC port, it is a critical first step – and a port of Mario Party 4 with online multiplayer is already in development. Mario Party 4 might seem like an obscure choice for the first fully decompiled GameCube game, but it was easier to reverse engineer than others because developer Hudson Soft originally compiled it without optimizations. Modders are also working on more popular GameCube titles, including Super Smash Bros. Melee, Metroid Prime, and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. Meanwhile, an unofficial PC port of the Xbox 360 title Sonic Unleashed has recently been completed. // Related Stories Although emulators like Dolphin have long allowed fans to play these classics on modern platforms, porting decompiled code enables much more extensive enhancements – akin to mods for open-source PC games like Doom and Quake. In a recent video (below), YouTuber Nerrel explained how ongoing efforts allow games like the original Super Smash Bros. to run at 240 frames per second and open the door to major gameplay tweaks for The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Games such as Super Mario 64, Star Fox 64, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time have already received PC ports that enable high resolutions and framerates. Additionally, a related project is attempting to revive Dinosaur Planet, which was never released. Modders are even experimenting with adding ray tracing to classic games, similar to NVIDIA's RTX Remix. A modding tool released about a year ago has helped streamline the recompilation process, though the community still faces numerous technical challenges. As a result, the timeline for future PC ports remains uncertain. Importantly, Nintendo hasn't struck down decompilation projects with lawsuits yet. Modders normally reverse engineer games using clean room tactics to avoid legal issues, and playing a PC port requires a copy of the original title. Masthead credit: VGR Remix Source: https://www.techspot.com/news/107905-modders-use-reverse-engineering-bring-mario-party-4.html #modders #use #reverse #engineering #bring #mario #party #more #gamecube #games #follow

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" At the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, the Estonian Ministry of Culture unveiled the installation and exhibition "Let me warm you," which was curated by architects Keiti Lige, Elina Liiva, and Helena Männa and displayed in the Estonian Pavilion.The Pavilion examines if the current insulation-driven renovations are a chance to improve the social and spatial quality of mass housing districts or if they are just a compliance tool to fulfill European energy targets.In order to draw attention to this problem, the Estonian Pavilion will install insulation panels on the front of a Venetian building—a technique that is also employed in Estonia for mass housing. The palazzetto is situated in the Castello area at Riva dei Sette Martiri 1611, which lies on the waterfront between Corso Garibaldi and the Giardini. An exhibition demonstrating how social interactions among many stakeholders impact spatial solutions will be held in a room coated in plastic film on the ground floor of the same structure. "With this project, we question whether insulation is just a bureaucratic checkbox for meeting EU targets or a real chance to tackle social and spatial challenges," said curators Keiti Lige, Elina Liiva, and Helena Männa."It exposes the clash between bold global ambitions and the everyday realities of people navigating collective decisions."One half of the world is utilizing more powerful cooling systems, while the other half is putting in ever-thicker layers of insulation to combat climate change.Estonia has set an ambitious aim to renovate all residential complexes built before 2000 to at least energy efficiency class C as Europe rushes to become climate neutral by 2050. This extensive repair project is a component of a broader European initiative to address the climate catastrophe by modernizing the old housing stock. Insulation, however, should be viewed as a significant improvement in quality of life rather than as a temporary solution or "bandage."Finding a balance between aggressive climate policies and the daily demands of the residents of these spaces is the true difficulty, considering the large expenses and long-term effects of these modifications.The same materials and design components commonly used in Estonian renovations will be used for the installation, which will be installed directly onto the façade of the current structure. It makes a strong visual statement when juxtaposed with Venice's elaborate architecture. Renovating residential buildings from the Soviet era in Estonia sometimes involves little to no architectural involvement, which perpetuates a problematic disrespect for the potential and character of these areas. The installation attempts to provoke a conversation between residents and architects about the cities and spaces we hope to live in by contrasting a façade covered in fiber cement with Venice's rich historic fabric. An exhibition exploring the social factors influencing remodeling choices will be located on the palazzetto's ground floor. Since the majority of apartment buildings in Estonia are privately owned, renovation decisions are frequently influenced by budgetary considerations, leaving limited opportunity for spatial enhancements other than insulation.The actual exhibition space, an existing apartment, will be covered in plastic film, signifying the constant drive for remodeling while highlighting how superficial repairs frequently obscure the more profound relationships and practical demands people have with their houses. Using theatrical dialogues and exaggerated spatial effects, a model of a Soviet-era housing block at its center highlights human interactions and illustrates how various relationships and interactions affect space.The exhibition encourages visitors to consider the conflict between policy-driven energy goals and the lived realities of individuals impacted by them by shedding light on the intricacies of community living and refurbishment decisions.A catalogue that shows the tragicomedy of an apartment complex in six episodes is included with the presentation. It examines topics from community revival to the dread of change, all based on the experiences of actual people.With the theme Intelligens Natural Artificial Collective the Biennale Architettura 2025, organized by architect Carlo Ratti, will focus on the built environment as a major source of atmospheric emissions, making architecture one of the primary culprits in the deterioration of our planet. As the climate situation worsens, architects need to provide practical, non-cosmetic, efficient, and expedient solutions.In this sense, the Estonian exhibition responds to Ratti’s call for pavilions: "This year’s head theme offers good ground to discuss what happens to architecture when the Architect is excluded from the process," explained Johanna Jõekalda, advisor on architecture and design at the Ministry of Culture of Estonia, Commissioner of the Estonian Pavilion."Renovation processes that are planned by residents themselves according to their best knowledge, provide a good example of how collective intelligence, or lack of it, affects our spatial environment." "The Estonian Pavilion gives the message that the architectural quality of the living environment should not be overlooked in renovation processes," Jõekalda explained.Visitors will actively interact with the pavilion and building during the Venice Biennale with "Let me warm you." Rethinking rehabilitation techniques could help Estonia lead Europe in updating old buildings for a more sustainable and livable future, not merely for energy efficiency.Find out all exhibition news on WAC's Venice Architecture Biennale page. Project factsPavilion of Estonia: Let me warm you Location: Riva dei Sette Martiri 1611 (Castello neighborhood), VeniceCommissioner: Johanna JõekaldaCurators Exhibitors: Keiti Lige, Elina Liiva, and Helena MännaOrganiser: Ministry of Culture of EstoniaCo-organiser: Estonian Museum of Architecture Creative team: Märten Rattasepp, Kirill Havanski, Aadam Kaarma, Joosep KivimäeProduction: Mari-Liis VunderCollaborators: Neeme Külm (Valge Kuup Studio), Margus Tammik, Robert Männa, Markus Puidak, Randel Pomber.All images © Joosep Kivimäe.> via Estonian Pavilion  Source: https://worldarchitecture.org/architecture-news/fhmgm/redefining-renovations-insulation-and-quality-in-mass-housing-in-the-estonian-pavilion.html #redefining #renovations #insulation #and #quality #mass #housing #the #estonian #pavilion

Tennis players know the struggle of finding consistent practice partners who match their skill level and availability. Traditional ball machines offer repetitive feeds but lack the dynamic interaction that makes tennis truly engaging and effective for skill development. While these machines can help with basic shot repetition, they fail to simulate the unpredictability, movement, and strategic elements that define real match play, leaving serious players with a significant gap in their training options. Enter Acemate, the revolutionary tennis robot that transforms solo practice into an authentic rally experience. Unlike conventional ball machines that simply shoot balls in predetermined patterns, Acemate actively moves across the court, tracks your shots with 4K binocular vision, and returns balls with human-like groundstrokes that respond to your play style. This breakthrough technology creates a training experience that closely mimics actual match conditions, allowing players to develop not just technical skills but also the tactical awareness and decision-making abilities essential for competitive success. Designer: Acemate Click Here to Buy Now: $1499 $2329 ($830 off). Hurry, only 28/290 left! Raised over $1,001,000. The robot’s 4K binocular camera system represents a quantum leap beyond the monocular vision found in other training devices. By capturing depth and speed similar to human eyes, Acemate achieves centimeter-level accuracy in tracking both the ball and your movements across the court. This precision enables the robot to position itself optimally for returns while analyzing your technique in real time, providing an experience that feels remarkably natural and responsive compared to the static drills of traditional practice methods. Players of all levels will appreciate Acemate’s versatile training modes designed to target specific aspects of the game. The Baseline Rally mode delivers customizable groundstrokes that keep you moving laterally and testing your consistency from the back of the court. Mini-court Rally offers gentler exchanges perfect for beginners or warm-up sessions, while Net Rally mode focuses on volleys with controlled feeds that enhance your reactions and hand-eye coordination at the net, addressing the full spectrum of skills needed for complete player development. Advanced players seeking higher-intensity training will love the Pro-level Simulation mode, which recreates iconic rally patterns inspired by ATP and Grand Slam matches. This feature allows you to experience the rhythm and intensity of professional exchanges, pushing your footwork, shot selection, and stamina to new heights. For serve practice, Acemate functions as both ball boy and coach, delivering balls directly to your hand while measuring serve speed and tracking placement accuracy, eliminating the tedious ball collection that typically interrupts valuable practice time. This versatility is thanks to Acemate’s mobility system, featuring four Mecanum wheels that allow omnidirectional movement, enabling the robot to glide across the court with surprising agility. This movement capability means you’ll be challenged to hit shots to different court positions just as you would against a human opponent, improving your court coverage and shot placement under realistic conditions. The robot adjusts its positioning based on your shots, creating the dynamic back-and-forth that makes tennis so engaging and developing the spatial awareness that static training simply cannot provide. The companion app transforms your smartphone or Apple Watch into a powerful training command center, offering real-time performance metrics and customization options from ball velocity to landing spots to shot types. After each session, receive comprehensive reports detailing your performance, as well as actionable insights that guide your improvement with the precision of professional coaching. The robot’s compact form and retractable handle make it surprisingly portable, and compatibility with all court surfaces without special setups maximizes your valuable practice time. With Acemate, your tennis practices transform from monotonous ball feeding into dynamic, responsive training that mirrors match conditions. Players gain a consistent, tireless partner that adapts to their level while providing detailed performance analytics previously available only to professionals. This breakthrough technology finally solves tennis’s fundamental training challenge, allowing players to develop complete game awareness and tactical skills even when hitting solo on the court. Click Here to Buy Now: $1499 $2329 ($830 off). Hurry, only 28/290 left! Raised over $1,001,000.The post Ace Your Tennis Training with Acemate’s Revolutionary Rally Robot first appeared on Yanko Design. Source: https://www.yankodesign.com/2025/05/13/ace-your-tennis-training-with-acemates-revolutionary-rally-robot/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ace-your-tennis-training-with-acemates-revolutionary-rally-robot #ace #your #tennis #training #with #acemates #revolutionary #rally #robot

Navigating the nexus between design innovation and practical application reveals a stark truth: Constraints, not freedoms, often spur the most creative solutions. Our journey into accessible furniture and product design is less about overcoming limitations and more about embracing the profound potential of human-centric design.  Imagine designers not just as creators but as researchers, delving deep into the daily lives of older individuals and people with disabilities through intensive ethnographic research. This approach involves hundreds of hours spent observing diverse populations in their most familiar environments—their homes. Here, every interaction and every struggle vividly illuminates the real needs and opportunities for innovation.  Empathy and Design With…  In October 2023, our consumer preference testing for the recent Pottery Barn collection marked a pivotal moment. Picture this: Dozens of users, each facing unique challenges, interacting with our prototypes. We observed intently, listened carefully, and learned from every gesture—whether reaching out, hesitating, or expressing relief. Each moment provided invaluable insights, directly shaping the evolution of our designs, from initial feedback to final concepts.  What does it truly mean to design with someone? Collaboration is key. It’s a dynamic interplay of give and take, where users lead with their experiences, and designers follow with their skills. This approach isn’t just about making do; it’s about making things better. By transforming our design process into a dialogue rather than a monologue, we ensure our creations are not just useful, but transformative. We call this approach “Design With,” which means we’re designing with our target consumers.  Empathy isn’t just a buzzword; it’s our blueprint. Inspired by the real challenges faced by our late founder, Michael Graves, and the broader community, we have embraced immersive empathy—spending days in wheelchairs and navigating with canes for extended periods—not just to imagine but to truly understand the barriers our users face. During the past 20 years, we’ve also faced our own disabilities, temporary and permanent, which have brought the issues to our own lives. This isn’t about sympathy; it’s about strategy. By actively putting ourselves in the shoes of those we design with, we transform empathy into action. Our commitment to “Design With” rather than “Design For” not only meets but anticipates users’ needs, creating solutions that are as innovative as they are inclusive.  Each solution should mirror human complexity  The future of accessible design is inspiring, and we look forward with purpose—inviting designers, brands, and companies to join us. With each project, we edge closer to breaking down barriers, not just in physical spaces, but in perceptions. Our goal is to always craft designs that go beyond accommodation. We strive for solutions that are anticipatory, functional, and beautiful—celebrating the diversity of ability and preference.  In accessible design, the true challenge isn’t simply balancing creativity with practicality. It’s ensuring every solution reflects the complexity of real human lives. That’s why, for decades, we’ve grounded our work in ethnographic research and consumer preference testing: spending time in people’s homes, observing daily routines, and turning feedback into meaningful, inclusive products. This isn’t theory—it’s design shaped by lived experience.  We’ve seen firsthand how listening deeply and designing with, not for, leads to better outcomes for everyone. The opportunity now is for more designers, brands, and businesses to take part. Ask deeper questions. Watch how people really live. Invite feedback early and often. The more of us who commit to designing with empathy and real-world insight, the more inclusive—and innovative—our shared future will be.  Ben Wintner is CEO of Michael Graves Design.  Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91333587/the-revolutionary-approach-to-accessible-design #the #revolutionary #approach #accessible #design

Taxi Studio has created a new visual and verbal identity for smart insurance platform Yoloh. The start-up, which currently offers home and car insurance, has adopted a new brand built around the idea of “dejumbling insurance” and its team credits the rebrand with a 10-fold surge in its valuation, leading to seed funding from investors across Europe, the Middle East and the US. https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/01.Yoloh_Intro.mp4 CMO Manish Bhatt had previously worked with the Bristol-based studio on the Airbus rebrand, and he saw a similar opportunity to shake up a conservative industry. “I have no insurance experience,” Bhatt explains, “so the idea was that Taxi and I could both come to this with a fresh perspective, to add value and create a brand that’s going to make a lasting impact.” The company had previously been called Smartsurance, and originally the founders wanted to change the name to Yolo, to reflect its mission to “to ensure people spend time living, not form-filling.” But having been quoted $15million to buy the website domain, they landed instead on Yoloh (the extra letter stands for happiness). The old identity had been built around a dog mascot called Simba. Bhatt pointed out that they may well get a lawsuit from Disney if they persisted with that character, and, given that animals are a common visual trope in the sector, he convinced them that they needed to do something different. https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/04.-TaxiStudio_Typefaces.mp4 “We wanted to disrupt the industry,” Bhatt explains. “Insurance is historically seen as a tax, so how could we flip that narrative around, and build a brand that can scale and resonate? We are trying to innovate, and so the new identity had to reflect that.” For Martin Fresle, Taxi’s associate creative director, the idea of dejumbling insurance – a world most people find complex and confusing – was the perfect foundation on which to build the identity. The team knew early on that they wanted to inject more playfulness, but they were also conscious that people feel very seriously about their finances. “You can only disrupt to a certain point,” Fresle says. “We had to be credible and trustworthy, and not make it seem too out-there.” Another challenge was the very broad target audience. Yoloh wants to build a multi-generational client base, from young people saving for their first home, to older people planning their retirement, and there is also a B2B market of banks and other lenders that are onboarded onto the platform. Starting with the brandmark, Taxi turned Yoloh into an ambigram, with the first ‘y’ and the final ‘h’ mirroring each other, so it can be read both ways, and flipped round in its motion design form. This was accompanied with the strapline, “Making life easier, whichever way you look at it.” https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/07.-TaxiStudio_Yoloh_Andi_Hands.mp4 Taxi also created Andi, a four-fingered hand that interacts with the other visual assets to, “make complex insurance terms and concepts easier to understand.” “Andi was designed to add that human touch,” Fresle explains. “That’s really lacking across other insurance providers and big banks, who use a lot of stock imagery.” Both the typography and the colour palette were chosen to balance trust and playfulness. For the fonts, Jokker bought a more serious sensibility while Bunch Bold added what Fresle calls “a curvy fluid bounce” that mirrors Andi’s angles. And the navy blue much used in the financial industries is offset with pops of brighter colours. Another challenge was to create an identity that could still convey its personality in the scaled-down space of an app, which is where most people would encounter it. https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/11.TaxiStudio_Yoloh_IphoneUX.mp4 Language played a big part in maximising the new brand’s impact. Taxi worked with brand writer Nick Carson to create a “warm, witty, and accessible tone of voice” in keeping with its mission. Working with start-ups can have its challenges, but Fresle says the pace of decision-making and direct access to key people makes these collaborations particularly dynamic. And for Bhatt, the new brand has already proved its worth in driving clear financial impact. He draws a very direct line between the identity and the company’s recent seed investment. “Securing seed funding was a pivotal moment for Yoloh, and our new brand identity played a key role in getting us there. Taxi Studio didn’t just give us a brand, they gave us a bold, ownable story that helped investors instantly ‘get’ what we’re about. “Now we are able to take this brand and scale it to any market around the world, which is very exciting,” he says. https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/05.TaxiStudio_Yoloh_Logo.mp4 https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/10.TaxiStudio_Yoloh_Icons-and-phone.mp4 Source: https://www.designweek.co.uk/taxi-studio-balances-trust-and-play-in-yoloh-rebrand/ #taxi #studio #balances #trust #and #play #yoloh #rebrand