LONDON - NOVEMBER 03: Production staff. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)Getty Images To call psychological safety a strategic imperative across industries is no exaggeration. It is a proven driver of high-functioning teams, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood concepts. In complex, high-reliability sectors like healthcare and technology, where outcomes hinge on rapid decision-making, cross-disciplinary coordination and adaptive learning, creating an environment where ideas and people feel safe to speak, challenge and contribute is vital to cultivating a resilient and high-performing culture. Peer-reviewed studies consistently link psychological safety to greater innovation, more effective leadership, enhanced collaboration and measurable improvements in team performance. But widespread misconceptions often dilute its impact, framing it as comfort over honesty or consensus over constructive tension. This article examines the influence, common misconceptions and high-stakes applications of psychological safety, particularly within the evolving landscapes of healthcare, technology and modern organizational leadership. Understanding Psychological Safety Psychological safety refers to an individual’s perception of the consequences of taking interpersonal risks in a particular context, such as the workplace. It is the belief that one can speak up, offer ideas, ask questions or admit mistakes without fear of punishment or shame. This concept, introduced by Amy Edmondson in 1999, has since been recognized as a cornerstone of effective team dynamics across multiple industry sectors. Psychological Safety And Widespread Misunderstandings A prevalent misinterpretation is equating psychological safety with comfort or the absence of conflict. However, proper psychological safety fosters an environment where challenging the status quo and engaging in constructive dissent are not only accepted but encouraged. It’s not about creating a conflict-free zone, but about ensuring that team members and employees feel secure enough to express diverse viewpoints and take calculated risks. Psychological Safety As A Public Health Issue As a health journalist, I’ve spent years tracing the ripple effects of emotional environments on the workplace. What I’ve learned is this: Psychological safety is a significant multiplier of well-being. When people feel unsafe expressing themselves, asking for help or communicating discomfort, the stress follows them into the other areas of their lives; it settles in the nervous system and accumulates gradually over time. The body and mind respond to social threats in the same way they respond to physical threats. It spikes cortisol, disrupts sleep, suppresses immune function and erodes the capacity for recovery, emotional resilience and self-regulation. Research from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022) suggests that low levels of psychological safety in the workplace are significantly associated with increased rates of burnout, anxiety and emotional exhaustion, particularly among healthcare workers and employees in high-demand industries. Conversely, when psychological safety is present, teams perform and function more effectively. Individuals report increased levels of self-efficacy, greater emotional resilience and improved job satisfaction. Over time, this translates into better health and well-being outcomes, including lower inflammation, a more stable mood, enhanced relationships and a greater ability to self-regulate under pressure. If we want to future-proof our workforces and protect collective mental health, psychological safety is key in a world that increasingly runs on speed, precision, and pressure. The most humane and high-performing environments will be the ones that make it safe to be human. Healthcare & Technology, Two Climactic Industries A study published in Frontiers in Psychology emphasized that healthcare professionals who feel psychologically safe are more likely to voice concerns, ask questions and deliver feedback, leading to improved patient safety and overall care quality. Further, fostering psychological safety can mitigate burnout and enhance job satisfaction among healthcare workers. In the fast-paced tech industry, psychological safety is equally vital. Research indicates that teams with high psychological safety are more innovative, as members feel empowered to share ideas and admit mistakes without fear of retribution. An analysis in PLOS ONE found that psychological safety has a positive influence on employee innovative performance through enhanced communication behaviors. Why Psychological Safety Starts With Leadership While psychological safety flourishes within teams, its foundation is built by leadership. Business leaders are more than strategic architects; they are cultural stewards. Their behaviors set the tone for what is spoken, what is silenced and how people relate to risk. In psychologically safe environments, for instance, leaders model intellectual humility and leadership competency by inviting dissent, acknowledging uncertainty and rewarding sincerity, even when their ideas can be challenged. A 2023 study in the European Management Journal suggested that leaders who display transformational and servant leadership qualities, such as empathy, empowerment and active listening, inspired their followers to lead themselves. Conversely, fear-based leadership and micro-management can be correlated with team withdrawal, silence and reduced innovation. For executives navigating high-pressure sectors such as healthcare and technology, the implications are profound. When team members feel secure enough to challenge inadequate systems, report ethical concerns or propose unconventional ideas, organizations become more agile, transparent and resilient. And the benefits aren’t abstract. Companies that prioritize psychological safety report lower turnover, faster problem-solving and stronger employee engagement. For example, Google’s landmark Project Aristotle study on effective teams implied that psychological safety was the most critical factor driving team performance, surpassing expertise, intelligence or even tenure. In brief, psychological safety encompasses not only how people feel and behave, but also how they interact with others. It's about how leaders lead and inspire others to do the same within their organization while welcoming their teams' voices, input and feedback. Strategies For A Psychological Safety Toolkit Leadership Commitment: Leaders must model vulnerability and openness, encouraging team members to speak up and share their thoughts. Inclusive Practices: Implementing structured communication methods, such as regular check-ins and feedback sessions, can promote inclusivity. Training and Development: Providing training on effective communication and conflict resolution can equip teams with the tools to maintain psychological safety. Feedback Mechanisms: Establishing anonymous feedback channels can help identify and address issues promptly. Psychological Safety, A Competitive Advantage Psychological safety is a biological, emotional and cultural imperative. In industries like healthcare and technology, where lives are saved and systems are built in real-time, the ability to speak up without fear is a key difference between innovation and inertia, between resilience and risk. And the data is clear: teams that feel safe to share unpolished ideas, ask questions and admit mistakes outperform those that don’t. They adapt faster. They solve more complex problems. They build stronger cultures of trust where performance doesn't come at the expense of human fulfillment. Ultimately, leaders who cultivate psychological safety are raising the bar for relational excellence. They understand that creativity is fragile, feedback is transformational and psychological safety is the fertile soil in which both flourish. Whether you’re a hospital executive, a tech founder, or a team lead navigating daily pressures, the boldest act of leadership today may be about listening more deeply, inviting more voices and making it safe to fail forward. Because the future of work and well-being depends not only on what we build, but also on how bravely we allow others to co-create it with us.

About the RoleSearchStax is the leader in Open Source Search in the Cloud with headquarters in Los Angeles, CA and has teams located across the United States and around the world.This is an excellent opportunity to join SearchStax Cloud team, providing technical support to customers and ensuring the availability and reliability of our search service. We are looking for a self-motivated Linux and Systems Engineer with a passion for professional service excellence who want to build on their experience and make a real difference to our cloud solutions. This entails installing, configuring, maintaining, supporting, and optimizing open source and custom-built software.Initiatives will include analysis and improvements around application reliability, disaster recovery, cloud management, distributed systems, and cluster management.This is a contract opportunity. The successful candidate will be required to participate in on-call shifts as part of the role.If this sounds like you, let’s talk! What You Will DoYou will collaborate closely with Engineers and Other Cloud Operations engineers to ensure high availability and smooth daily operations of the service.Resolve customer support tickets and service incidents and requests in a timely and professional manner via effective investigation, triage and resolution of these requests.Treat every customer professionally and with respect; ensure positive customer experience and satisfaction.Work within a global support team covering 24x7x365 cloud operations - effectively managing handoffs from shift-to-shift for cloud support issues.Respond to escalated customer service issues within the defined process with a high level of reactivity.You will be responsible for setting up backups, deploying software, upgrading systems, and performing other routine maintenance tasks - Manually or using Automation (ideally via Ansible or other scripting language).You will be responsible for configuring and generating reports, alerts on Core Infrastructure using Datadog, Zabbix or custom scripts.You will perform periodic security audits of the system.You will perform service requests by customers or internal teams with high quality and detail by following and contributing to Standard Operating Procedures.You will be part of an on-call rotation schedule.What You Must Have Strong communication skills and strong command on English2+ years- experience in Linux system (Ubuntu/CentOS) administrationAt least 1 cloud provider experience (AWS, Azure or GCP)Knowledge of network issues (firewall, routing, load balancing)Familiarity in writing scripts using Bash or PythonPractical knowledge of MySQL and NoSQL (MongoDB) database system as an administrator (backing up, replication, optimization)Experience in web server administration (e.g. Apache, Nginx)Exposure to ITIL processWillingness to learn new technologiesAbility to work independently and as a teamKnowledge of DevOps tools (we use Ansible, Terraform and Python) would be a plusApply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now Meet JobCopilot: Your Personal AI Job HunterAutomatically Apply to Remote DevOps and Sysadmin JobsJust set your preferences and Job Copilot will do the rest-finding, filtering, and applying while you focus on what matters. Activate JobCopilot

The Chinese game industry has grown immensely in the past few years. Online free-to-play titles, such as Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves, have millions of players around the world, while others like Etheria: Restart gear up for their full release. Companies have also marveled at the success of Black Myth: Wukong, which sold 10 million copies in under a week when it launched in August 2024, and subsequently honored as Game of the Year at the 2024 Steam Awards.Indeed, game studios in China are firing on all cylinders, with multiple offerings vying to become the next big global hit. This is further bolstered by rising incomes among consumers, high enthusiasm among developers, and robust support from regional governments. This raises the questions—what's driving growth in the region, and where is this emerging industry headed next?To learn more about the inner workings of the Chinese games industry, Game Developer spoke with several experts like China Independent Game Alliance (CIGA) founder Simon Zhu, Li Shen, former Tencent Games China and Epic Games China chief technology officer, and Siyuan Xia, the co-founder of Chengdu-based Leenzee Technology and director of soulslike action-roleplaying game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers.Single-player game development is becoming sustainable in ChinaRelated:Chinese developers have historically been reluctant to work on single-player games. The challenges of premium single-player production are immense, and the popularity of free-to-play titles makes those kinds of games a better business prospect. Zhu gave us a brief history lesson on how free-to-play offerings became the norm for many decades. "If you recall, 1995 was a landmark year that saw the birth of The Legend of Sword and Fairy series," notes Zhu. The franchise, which combined elements of Chinese mythology and wuxia (Chinese martial arts), was a huge hit for nearly a decade."Unfortunately, even with the series' popularity, piracy was so rampant back then that the single-player market could not truly flourish. It wasn't until the online game boom in the 2000s that China's video games market and history truly began—which was then dominated by free-to-play games. We had to wait until March 2015 when the PlayStation officially entered the Chinese market for single-player console games to be formally introduced to gamers. Even then, single-player games still occupied a small niche until Steam's emergence significantly expanded access."Studios and publishers also have to contend with the disparity in gauging the success of a single-player title compared to a free-to-play offering. "The fate of the former is often determined on launch day—(making those projects riskier ventures)—while the latter has more room for recovery if issues arise on the first day," Xia tells us. It all boils down to how each team adapts, just as how the Wuchang team had adjusted to a new development cycle to make the overall rhythm and work process more manageable.Related:Image via Lenzee/505 Games.Experts are indeed well aware of the opportunities brought about by breakthrough titles opening doors to a wider audience, though these are uncharted waters for many studios in the country.Shen (who now heads his own investment company, Re³ Lab) also adds that Chinese players and developers have always had interest in single-player games, but it wasn't until Black Myth: Wukong sold millions of units globally that publishers became more willing to invest.Other single-player offerings, such as S-Game's Phantom Blade: Zero and Leenzee's Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, also hope to capitalize on Black Myth: Wukong's success. Wuchang, while set during the fall of the Ming Dynasty, even shows a glimpse into the culture and history of the Bronze Age Ancient Kingdom of Shu given that the studio is just an hour away from the archaeological site of Sanxingdui.Related:Wuchang and other games wear their cultural identity proudly on their sleeves, and Xia emphasizes its importance. "I believe Chinese games are gradually forming a distinctive identity in global markets. Cultural outreach isn't an overnight phenomenon but a long-term evolution fueled by collective efforts. For our part, we aspire to contribute foundational work through our endeavors.Shen echoes this sentiment as well. "Black Myth: Wukong was hailed as 'China's first AAA breakthrough' and I believe this instilled pride not just in the developers, but across the industry as well. Many view their work as challenging the Western-dominated games landscape and elevating Asian cultural representation. This collective mission drives innovation and a deeper exploration of local/regional narratives."That said, there's also a balancing act between highlighting cultural uniqueness and navigating geopolitical sensitivities, as Shen points out. "Look at Phantom Blade: Zero, for instance," says Shen. "It garnered nine million views on Bilibili (essentially China's own version of YouTube), but it required rebranding for Western audiences."Challenges and opportunities in a fluctuating marketThe experts we spoke with agreed that Chinese game developers benefit from unique comparative advantages—and struggle with some disadvantages. "Chinese companies, owing to their experience in making online free-to-play games, are global frontrunners in commercial design and operations, excelling at creating monetization models, balancing numerical values, and guiding user behavior," says Zhu. "Sadly, game design and overall quality may fall short, particularly in narrative and script writing. The industry still suffers from limited experience in game design, insufficient market insight, and inadequate industry exchange."Shen agrees that China has achieved world-class capabilities, particularly when it comes to mobile game platforms and substantially profitable products in the domestic market. "Unfortunately, increasing production costs and market competition raise the barrier to entry for commercial games," says Shen. "This has made some developers grow increasingly conservative in genre selection, prioritizing production polish over innovative differentiation."Zhu also shares the stark differences between Western and Chinese industries, particularly when holding events and expos. "To give you an example: The Game Developers Conference (GDC) in the United States has long been established as a key platform for industry exchanges and B2B meetings. The event hosts approximately 1,000 sessions, with an access pass that costs around 10,000 RMB (approximately $1,350), yet it manages to draw attendees from across the globe, fostering an excellent environment for communication and networking.""In contrast, the events I organize in China offer tickets at about 500 RMB (approximately 70 USD), which already includes a one-day access to the WePlay Expo. Despite this, we still face challenges in ticket sales and in engaging local speakers, some of whom are hesitant to share their expertise. I believe that this is due to the general public's understanding of the games industry and culture, especially since China's video game history and cultural integration only span around 20 years. The disparity with overseas markets is notable, but it also indicates substantial growth potential."Crunch culture, too, remains a controversial topic in China. "Long hours are common especially during project deadlines," says Shen. "Some studios adopt a 9-9-6 schedule–i.e. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. While labor reforms are underway, intense competition and a culture of 'dedication' [to your work] tend to normalize overtime as well."Image via CIGA.While government guidelines do exist, enforcement remains inconsistent as it depends on each company or organization. "Our company, Leenzee, does not encourage overtime since we view that as inefficient and counterproductive," notes Xia. "In spite of this, some team members still voluntarily stay late. For them, Wuchang is the first Chinese-developed single-player game that they've worked on, and there's an emotional attachment to it.""In CIGA, we have consistently eschewed the practice of crunch or overtime, even going so far as to avoid rigid clock-in/clock-out times," explains Zhu. "The reality is that crunch, feeling compelled to stay until the boss leaves, or project pressures that lead to mandated overtime—these are all outdated formalities. They do not enhance inefficiency or quality. Instead, they only lead to increased stress and dissatisfaction among team members. Knowing how much the younger generation values work-life balance, I'm optimistic that outdated practices wane as the attitudes of newer generations continue to shift and the work environment evolves."In a period of growth for Chinese game development, one might think there were fewer layoffs going around. That's not true, says Zhu. "I'm based in Shanghai, the city that's at the forefront of the industry," he says. "In the last two years, numerous companies have experienced layoffs, including the termination of entire projects, teams, or subsidiaries. The approach differs from company to company, with some offering compensation to affected employees."Shen points out that unlike many other game development communities, China benefits from a strong social safety net reinforced by unemployment insurance and state-backed retraining programs. "Though specifics depend on regional policies," he clarified, noting it's not a perfect solution.Local governments are investing in game developmentRegional policies that often play a huge role in supporting game development in China. Most games that are set to be published in the country require a license from the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), with key steps that include content review (i.e. cultural sensitivity or historical accuracy) and technical compliance. However, each regional administrative district may have additional programs in place to aid companies and studios."The Sichuan Provincial Government has been highly supportive of our work," says Xia. "Since Wuchang: Fallen Feathers takes place in Chengdu and parts of Sichuan Province, the government even helped us locate more cultural heritage locations available for digital preservation through our scanning process.""Depending on the regional policies, the initiatives might include tax breaks for cultural projects or grants for technology/R&D," adds Shen. "Also, games recognized as key to 'digital cultural industries' have mandates to integrate traditional themes, and there might even be state-backed campaigns to export games globally as cultural ambassadors."Zhu, meanwhile, gestured to the 'tech park' we were in, one of several in the city that was built by Shanghai's administrative government. "This entire complex is home to several tech companies, both large conglomerates and startups, and most only pay a small expense for rent," says Zhu. Zhu also adds that local governments across the country have policies that help address game incubation, operations, local releases, and international distribution.There's no denying that China is the largest video games market in the world. While challenges, such as a lack of experience in making single-player games and a reluctance to risk on day-one launch revenue, do exist, experts remain hopeful. Developers, project leads, experts, and the government all contribute toward a collective effort to drive the expansion and global reach of the Chinese games industry."Rising incomes and increased demand for high-quality content will continue to drive growth," says Shen, arguing that there's a brighter future ahead.Zhu, meanwhile, remains steadfast in CIGA's support of the indie games community. "We know that the development of this sector in the country remains a long-term endeavor," notes Zhu. "Transformative change may not be achieved within a single lifetime, but this undertaking demands continued dedication and resilience.""We have a saying in China: 'When everybody adds fuel, the flames rise high'—it's the equivalent of saying that 'there is strength in numbers,'" posits Xia. "Our team hopes that, through our efforts, we can contribute further to the games industry, making it easier for future creators and allowing for more interesting works to emerge."

Cable broadband may have more subscribers, but fiber customers remain more content with their connectivity, per the latest survey from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).As in last year's ACSI survey, fiber broadband's fast speeds—not just downloads but also uploads—place it far ahead of cable. AT&T Fiber ranked highest, with a score of 78 out of 100, followed by Google Fiber (GFiber) and Verizon Fios at 76 each. Third place goes to an unlikely company: Comcast, whose small Xfinity Fiber network earns a score of 75.Comcast's mainstream Xfinity cable service, meanwhile, comes away with a mediocre score of 69. That lands the Philadelphia firm in the middle of a group of cable operators in the non-fiber category of ACSI's report: Cable One's Sparklight and Charter's Spectrum, tied at 71, and Cox, 68. (On Friday, Charter announced plans to buy Cox, a deal that would make the combined firm the biggest cable broadband service.)The top two non-fiber services, however, are both fixed-wireless 5G: T-Mobile's leads the category at 78, with Verizon right behind at 77. AT&T, which sells a hybrid-fiber service it confusingly brands as just "AT&T Internet" as well as "AT&T Internet Air" fixed-wireless 5G, has a less impressive 70. Fiber providers did well in PCMag's Readers' Choice awards for 2024, with GFiber winning best overall and best fiber ISP, followed by Verizon as best major ISP. Our Best ISPs of 2024 survey had similar results, with GFiber winning Best Major ISP and T-Mobile taking Best All-Around ISP. ACSI's survey results line up even closer with our readers' picks in wireless carriers and wireless resellers, also known as MVNOs, short for "mobile virtual network operators." Once again, the ACSI finds people like wireless service better when they pay a different company for it: The highest-ranked service, the AT&T reseller (and regular occupant of a top spot in our Readers' Choice lists) Consumer Cellular, earns an 82, while AT&T itself gets a 74. Recommended by Our EditorsAT&T-owned Cricket also does better than its parent firm with a score of 76.T-Mobile does best among the big three with a 76, but its Mint Mobile brand does three points better. And while Verizon comes just behind T-Mobile at 75, Spectrum Mobile, based on resold Verizon capacity, also comes in three points above. Two prepaid services owned by Verizon—Straight Talk, 78, and Tracfone, 77—also do better than their corporate parent.ACSI chalks up slight declines across the wireless industry to "call quality and network capability issues" that hurt both the wireless carriers and the services reselling their networks. This latest ACSI survey also assessed customer happiness with smartphones and smartwatches. In the former category, Apple and Google tie with scores of 81, followed by Google and Motorola tied at 75. In what should surprise nobody who has ever picked up a phone, respondents are least satisfied with battery life, although that 77 rating still beats the wireless industry's sector-wide score of 75.We can endorse this comment in the ACSI report: "Customers have largely shrugged off AI-driven enhancements to date and continue to value the practical basics of calling ease, texting ease, and phone design while craving better battery life."The latter category, a new addition to ACSI surveys, has Samsung wearables leading Apple, 83 to 80. Google's Fitbit comes in third at 72; the survey did not cover Google's Pixel Watch series.ACSI, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., collected 27,494 surveys from its pool of respondents, picked at random and quizzed via email from April 2024 to March 2025.

Source: Daniel Gayne The announcement that his office would be actively exploring green belt land to develop on stole the show during Sadiq Khan’s big housing speech in Greenwich last Friday. But the consultation document published alongside the address – entitled Towards a new London Plan – was packed with clues about other ways in which the next plan could differ from the most recent one, which was adopted back in 2021. Target setting for social rent homes In a number of places, the consultation document makes it clear that the London mayor does not want to skimp on delivering homes for social rent. “The greatest affordable housing need is for social rent homes,” the document says. “A future approach could put more emphasis on this housing tenure in line with national policy. This includes setting specific targets for social rent and increasing the proportion of social rented homes secured through the planning system.” >> Also read: I make it a virtue that I’ve changed my mind: Khan talks up his green-belt U-turn but where might new homes be built? Interestingly, this would go beyond what has been implemented so far at the national level. Despite calls to do so from Florence Eshalomi, chair of the backbench housing select committee, central government has refrained from setting specific targets for the delivery of social housing. At a national level, Angela Rayner, Labour’s housing secretary, has been vocal in her support for the social rent tenure. But beyond rhetoric, relatively little policy supporting social rent development specifically has been forthcoming from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.  Khan’s consultation document is the first place we have seen some indication of how Labour’s support for an increase in homes for social rent might be realised. Source: MHCLG / FlickrThe consultation document sets out a number of measures to boost the provision of homes for social rent. Something which has been promised at a national level by the housing secretary (pictured), but without much policy detail Full replacement of social rent homes in estate regeneration and a new intermediate tenure Under the existing London Plan, estate regeneration schemes are only required to re-provide demolished social rent homes when the occupiers have a right to return. If there isn’t such a right, the floorspace can be re-provided as either social rent or London Affordable Rent (lower than 80% of market rents). The consultation document suggests that the next London Plan “could require full replacement of social rent homes”, no matter whether or not there is a right to return. As well as prioritising homes for social rent, the consultation document has mooted the introduction of a new intermediate tenure type, which it said was “crucial for middle-income earners including key workers”. The next London Plan “could build on work already done by the mayor and introduce Key Worker Living Rent”, it said. It suggested that this new tenure type could be based on key workers’ incomes, rather than representing a set discount on market rates. Expanding the definition of build to rent Currently, the London Plan specifies build-to-rent schemes (BTR) as comprising at least 50 units. But, according to the consultation document, this limit “does not necessarily need to apply”. It suggests that “if build to rent is to become more important in meeting housing needs, this definition could be expanded to support more diverse types of development”. Source: Daniel GayneSadiq Khan speaking in south-east London last week at the launch of the consultation on the next London Plan It also said that, beyond affordable housing thresholds, there may be “additional models to provide genuinely affordable housing” as part of BTR developments. “These would help meet housing need and align to the delivery and management model”. The consultation also stressed the need to strike the right balance in terms of encouraging other development types, such as co-living and purpose-built student accommodation, without setting out much detail on what the mayor’s team thinks that balance might be. Instead, it sought views on how a reasonable balance could be achieved. Revised policies on density and building height The mayor’s office indicated dissatisfaction with how tall building development is currently being handled across the city, noting that some boroughs had failed to identify suitable areas for tall building.  It suggested that the new plan “could take a more active role in identifying and defining tall building clusters” as well as setting out the building heights that “should be acceptable in principle in all locations across London that share certain characteristics”. It also mooted the possibility of setting a minimum height benchmark and a small site design code across London to support small site development and SMEs. Removal of duplicates between London Plan and national regulations The document identified a “confusing overlap of planning policies and building regulations”, which it proposed to remove. One example was overheating and ventilation, which has been subject to new national building regulation guidance since the last London Plan was published. “One option for the new London Plan could be to remove bespoke policies that cover these issues and rely on national building regulations to deal with ventilation and overheating,” it said. “This would make it simpler for applicants and planning officers to know what is expected from a planning application and support housing delivery.” >> Also read: Bennetts’ timber and straw robotics lab pilots new net zero carbon building standard >> Also read: Alma-nac: Doing architecture for free. Well, sometimes… What is the London Plan? The London Plan is the strategic spatial plan for Greater London, setting out strategy and requirements for homes, transport and other infrastructure. It sets out how the capital should develop over the next 20-25 years. When London boroughs write their own plans, they have to be in “general conformity” with the London Plan. The current plan was published in March 2021. The draft new plan will be published in 2026 for consultation. The new plan will then run from its adoption in 2027 until 2050, with regular updates.  On Friday, the mayor published an initial consultation paper (Towards a New London Plan) featuring proposals that might be included in that draft. It gave a strong indication of his thinking and priorities. The plan also sets housing targets for each borough to achieve, which it bases on where homes might reasonably be built, rather than where local need arises. In other words, London is treated as one big housing market, despite having more than 30 planning authorities.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Windows 11 vs 10 vs 8.1? Users overwhelmingly feel Microsoft's modern OS is worst for old PC Sayan Sen Neowin @ssc_combater007 · May 20, 2025 05:16 EDT Microsoft likes to pat itself on the back from time to time, but let's be honest, there is nothing wrong with it. They say "love yourselves," and Microsoft does just that, just like any other company out there. Last month, Microsoft went on to explain how it relied on its own "design instinct" rather than "user feedback alone" to make the modern Windows as "special" as it is. And more recently, a senior engineer talked about how even smaller elements on the Windows OS, like the clipboard, are designed to be high-performance. This post, coincidentally, was made just a few days after we reported on the user dissatisfaction regarding the performance of Windows 11 despite Microsoft actually boosting the performance. Many users still feel Windows 11's performance optimization leaves a lot to be desired. Even if the performance differences may not reflect in benchmarks, people often claim they feel the new OS is sluggish. A recent post on the r/Windows subreddit piqued my interest. The thread was about the fastest Windows OS on an older spinning drive like a hard disk drive (HDD), and perhaps a bit surprisingly, Windows 8.1 was overwhelmingly upvoted by most users as the last modern Windows OS that was still quick on a system still sporting an HDD. The discussion was started by a user named PJs_Asphalt, and they wondered if there was anything better than Windows 8.1 for their 2008 Lenovo ThinkPad laptop that sports a Core 2 Duo (dual core), 8 GB RAM, and a Toshiba HDD. At the time of writing, the post has been upvoted by over 400 people, with most saying either Windows 8 or 8.1 is still the best thing for older, weaker systems. It is certainly true that Windows 10 and especially Windows 11 are quite heavy on the I/O side, and there was even a rumor that Microsoft would make SSDs the minimum storage requirement for Windows 11. This certainly becomes quite relevant given that Microsoft is constantly reminding users about the end of support for Windows 10 that is fast approaching, and thus, many systems like the one above won't be officially supported on Windows 11. So they could either stick to Windows 8/8.1 or 10 and be at risk, or move to Linux. If you're looking to do the latter, a Linux-backed project called "Endof10" may help. Tags Report a problem with article Follow @NeowinFeed

iSpeedToLead is a fast-growing, innovative marketplace selling motivated seller leads to real estate investors and wholesalers. We’re transforming real estate lead generation through cutting-edge AI-driven solutions, enhancing marketplace liquidity, and optimizing user experiences.Role Mission: Lead the practical deployment and integration of AI technologies across the organization, ensuring all AI initiatives translate into tangible business results and seamless user experiences.Responsibilities:Coordinate the implementation of AI projects across different business functions, including operations, sales, marketing, and customer support.Act as a bridge between AI/ML engineering teams and non-technical stakeholders to facilitate clear communication and effective collaboration.Manage project timelines, ensuring AI initiatives are delivered on schedule and within budget.Troubleshoot and resolve issues during AI project execution, ensuring smooth operational integration.Train internal teams on how to effectively use and leverage AI-driven tools and systems.Design and optimize automation workflows using tools like Make.Develop and refine AI prompts for maximum efficiency and performance in AI-driven features.Requirements:3+ years experience in technical project management or AI implementation roles.Familiarity with machine learning concepts, AI-driven software solutions, and data management practices.Proficiency in project management and collaboration tools such as Jira, Slack, Notion, Monday.com, Trello, and similar platforms.Strong hands-on experience with automation tools (Make.com, Zapier, or similar).Understanding of prompt engineering and optimizing AI model interactions for enhanced outcomes.Excellent organizational and communication skills, able to clearly articulate technical details to non-technical audiences.Strong problem-solving abilities and practical experience in project management methodologies (Agile/Scrum).Prior experience implementing AI solutions in marketplace, SaaS, or real estate tech environments is highly desirable.What Success Looks Like:Timely and successful delivery of AI projects with measurable business impacts.Strong internal adoption and user satisfaction with implemented AI solutions.Effective and efficient communication between technical and business teams.Why Join Us?Work in a dynamic, growth-oriented environment.Directly impact strategic business outcomes through AI innovation.Collaborate closely with a driven, innovative team.Competitive salary, equity opportunities, and career advancement.Next Steps: Excited about driving impactful AI implementations? Apply now and shape the future of AI-driven real estate technology at iSpeedToLead!Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now Meet JobCopilot: Your Personal AI Job HunterAutomatically Apply to Remote Product JobsJust set your preferences and Job Copilot will do the rest-finding, filtering, and applying while you focus on what matters. Activate JobCopilot

Last week, we covered content loops and — whilst this is mainly about Miro — this week it’s your job to spot another one 👀Continue reading on UX Collective »

If you work in a tech company with screens in meeting rooms: what is on those screens as screensavers?At Stripe: its realtime business metric graphs. Support satisfaction, fraud rate trends, revenue for product X.Just saw these - what a way to “expose” the business to devs!

Rome wasn’t built in a day (Ubisoft) The fan favourite city-building series takes a welcome step back in time to second century Rome, as Anno 117 puts you in control of ancient Britain. Ubisoft’s Anno series, of historical city building sims, has quietly become one of the games industry’s hardiest perennials. Since 1998, it has mostly occupied a time period between the 15th and 19th centuries, albeit with two excursions into the future. Now, with Anno 117 (the eighth mainline instalment of the franchise), it is poised to take a large step back in time, to when the Roman Empire was in full swing and enjoying a period of extended peace. This is important because, as Anno players will be aware, the series is all about building, not fighting. We were given the chance to spend roughly three hours playing the new game, via Ubisoft’s streaming service on PC. Coming from the frenetic action of Doom: The Dark Ages, it felt like an oasis of tranquillity, with its considered gameplay requiring lots of thought and plenty of planning, along with a certain amount of waiting around for essential materials to be manufactured. As with all previous Anno games, it is very much a game for builders rather than destroyers. Given the technological sophistication of the Roman Empire – particularly by the time it had reached the second century AD – it’s surprising that the Anno franchise hadn’t previously explored the time period, but it’s obvious from the start that it’s a good fit. In the full game you’ll be given a choice between two areas of the Roman Empire, in which to establish your colony: Latium (an uncharted Mediterranean area which looks to be off the coast of Italy) or Albion – that is, what is now known as Britain. Much as we would have liked to have amazed the backwards natives by building a shiny Roman city on British shores, the constraints of the preview dictated that we would instead build in Latium. As such, our ship pitched up at a pristine, procedurally generated Mediterranean island, complete with a beach which could be developed into a port, flat land for farming, plenty of forests, a prominent river, and some mountains which could be mined. The first task – since we were taking on the position of governor of the new city – was to build a governor’s villa to accompany the trading post that had already been built on the beach. Once that was done, the from-scratch city-building started in earnest. Raw materials are obviously key, so a woodcutting operation was needed in the nearest forest, which has to be connected up to the trading post by road. As ever in a city-building game, close control over the network of roads is essential. Anno 117’s road-building system is exemplary – intelligent enough to let you curve roads to your satisfaction and snap them easily to form the connections they need to make. With a woodcutter and a sawmill constructed, and wood therefore in plentiful supply, we could then start building a number of homes for the workers who form the lifeblood of the city. Build those homes and you’re able to establish a workforce. In its early stages, Anno 117’s tutorial makes its objectives clear: you need to build 10 houses to establish that workforce. Unfulfilled criteria are clearly marked with little warning flags; Anno 117, mercifully, isn’t one of those strategy games which seems happy to leave you confused. After completing the tutorial, we were never at a loss as to what to do and the tutorial itself felt logical rather than manufactured. With our first residential area constructed and hooked up via a road network, we could start turning our attention to the needs of our burgeoning populace. Food, obviously, was required, so we built a fishery and established a wheat farm, along with a bakery and a porridge kitchen. We then began to have little interactions, as governor, with our inhabitants. We unlocked the ability to build a market and a tavern in the residential quarter, which bring helpful area effects. Pleasingly, what was now transforming from a village into a town began to exhibit some bustle, with carts of timber moving around and residents going about their daily work and heading to the tavern afterwards. Ancient Albion on the fringes of the Empire (Ubisoft) Our next task was to attract some more sophisticated, educated residents, by fulfilling a number of criteria in order to upgrade the basic housing. This brought considerations like fashion into the mix, by establishing a hemp farm and setting up a cloth-spinner. More sophisticated building materials such as tiles were also required, so we built a charcoal kiln and, on one of the river slots highlighted in the game’s geography, cleared a clay heap As that extended the city limits somewhat, it was necessary to build another warehouse. And we had to keep an eye on the mix of our population, between the basic Liberti and the more sophisticated Plebeians, by building more houses and upgrading some of them. Now that our town was really starting to take shape a level of exploration and interaction with other nearby enclaves came into play, with governors of nearby provinces appearing – giving us opportunities to indulge in diplomacy. Other residents then started asking to be ferried around the world map in the starting ship, which had previously remained moored as we established the basic structure of our town. More Trending During the tutorial period, we had concentrated on establishing a basic settlement rather than engaging in trade, so had been forced at one point to accept a loan from our superior in Rome. As the game progresses, trading becomes an increasingly important mechanism in the push to build a more sophisticated city. At this point you are given the ability to not only establish trade routes but also set religious criteria, by picking a preferred god to worship from the Roman pantheon. Even three hours in, we were quite happy with the progress we had made towards imposing a decent level of civilisation upon previously uninhabited territory. Those initial three hours with Anno 117: Pax Romana proved very satisfying and enjoyable. Although the series predates the phrase cosy game, it’s definitely that, while also being reminiscent of even older franchises like The Settlers (now also owned by Ubisoft). For a city builder, Anno 117 fells pretty exemplary in terms of its interface, which is clear and logical. It looks great and, with the local interactions and the trade route engine, offers more gameplay variety than most similar games. At the moment, it hasn’t been given a specific release date, but Ubisoft has said that it will come out this year on both consoles and PC. Formats: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PCPublisher: UbisoftDeveloper: Ubisoft MainzRelease Date: 2025 Ocean trading is an important gameplay element (Ubisoft) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. 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