Table of ContentsEarbud DealsStreaming Device DealsSecurity Camera DealsComputer Mouse DealsSpeaker DealsWi-Fi Extender DealsWebcam DealsMicrophone DealsGaming Controller DealsSpeaker DealsThermostat DealsHeadphone DealsVideo Doorbell Deals Memorial Day deals are popping up everywhere, and for under $50, we've found some surprisingly solid picks for you. Whether you need a spare pair of earbuds, a portable charger, or smart home basics, now’s a great time to stock up without stretching your budget. These limited-time offers cover both name-brand gear and underrated gems, but inventory tends to move fast when prices dip this low. Don’t wait for the holiday weekend since many of the best bargains may already be gone by then. Here are a few standout picks under $50 worth grabbing.Don't forget to check out our round-up of theBest Memorial Day tech sales for all of the best deals out there.Earbud DealsThe Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds offer a surprisingly solid mix of rich audio, effective ANC, and a highly customizable app, all for a 44% discount. The companion app lets you tweak the EQ and controls and even set a personalized sound profile. Meanwhile, a solid battery life and secure fit make them great for workouts or commutes. As expert Tim Gideon said in our 2022 review, “The Anker Soundcore Space A40 in-ears deliver a natural audio experience and solid ANC for the price.” Rated “Excellent” and crowned as an Editors' Choice winner, these earbuds punch way above their price range.You can also score this Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds on Walmart for $44.99.Streaming Device DealsThe Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is a fantastic upgrade for your old TV if you want smooth, fast streaming on the cheap. It delivers snappy performance, quick Alexa responses, and a wide range of apps, all while keeping the price under $30. Wi-Fi 6 ensures more stable connections, especially in busy households. Navigating apps feels seamless, and switching between them is nearly instant. Our resident expert, Will Greenwald, said, "Everything I watched, from Prime Video to Crunchyroll to Twitch, played within seconds and looked crisp and vibrant." With an "Outstanding" rating in our Fire TV Stick 4K review and the Editors' Choice award, this is an easy recommendation.Security Camera DealsThe Blink Mini 2 is a small, affordable indoor security camera that works like a charm, especially if you're in the Alexa ecosystem. Setup is a breeze, and once it’s running, you get crisp daytime video and smooth motion alerts without any hassle. The color night vision is a nice touch if you’ve got the spotlight enabled. Our expert, John R. Delaney notes, “Motion alerts arrived instantly and two-way talk came through loud and clear,” and rated it “Good” in our Blink Mini 2 review. It’s not overloaded with extras, but for quick checks on your space, especially through an Echo Show, it’s super handy and doesn’t break the bank at just under 20 bucks.The TP-Link Tapo C120 is a steal for under $25. This little camera does so much more than its price tag would lead you to believe, with sharp 2K video, color night vision, and built-in spotlights that light up your yard when motion’s detected. It’s weatherproof, so you can stick it indoors or outdoors, and the setup is a breeze. The motion detection is smart, too, distinguishing between people, pets, and vehicles, which cuts down on false alerts. In 2023, our expert points out in our TP-Link Tapo C120 review that the camera “is loaded with features usually only found on more expensive models.” That’s why it received an “Outstanding” rating and also became the Editors’ Choice winner. If you want a budget-friendly cam that doesn’t skimp, this is it.Computer Mouse DealsThe Logitech POP is a wireless mouse that comes in some quirky colors such as "Heartbreaker Rose" and "Daydream Mint," making it way more interesting than your usual plain-looking beige or black clicker (though ordinary colors are an option, too). For some added fun, you can assign your favorite emoji to a shortcut button through its software. It’s also comfortable to use, lasts up to two years on a single battery, and lets you switch control among three devices easily. Reviewer and analyst Zackery Cuevas says, “It’s a surprisingly versatile device that hops between multiple connections with ease and offers some light customization,” rating it at “Good” in our 2022 Logitech POP Mouse review. With the current sale price of $29, it’s a solid deal if you want something that's perkier-looking and more functional than your everyday mouse.Speaker DealsThe Amazon Echo Pop is a great way to add Alexa to a smaller room without spending much (just $25 today). It nails the basics like music, smart home controls, weather, timers, and more. You can operate all these functions with voice commands, and its compact design blends in easily. It even works as an Eero mesh Wi-Fi extender, which is super handy. Don’t expect deep bass, but for casual listening, it's solid. As PCMag's Will Greenwald notes, “It delivers a decent, well-balanced sound for its size.” The Echo Pop earned an “Excellent” rating in our review, and if you're just getting started with smart speakers, this one makes a strong case for itself.Recommended by Our EditorsWi-Fi Extender DealsThe TP-Link RE600X is a little Wi-Fi extender that’s easy to use. Just plug it in, connect via the app, and you’re good to go. It boosts your 5GHz speeds to 400Mbps close up and still delivers 196Mbps at 40 feet, which is great for streaming in dead zones. As our expert said in our review, “The RE600X offers a relatively affordable way to boost Wi-Fi 6 signal strength in your home.” It’s not the smallest or most feature-packed extender, but with a titanic 50% discount, it’s a reliable fix for spotty Wi-Fi. Overall, it’s a good pick for basic coverage needs.Webcam DealsThe Creative Live! Cam Sync 1080p V2 gives you noticeably brighter and sharper video for Zoom calls or streaming, and the audio holds up surprisingly well. You don’t even need extra lights since your face stays visible even in dim rooms. As our expert mentioned in his “Excellent” rated Live! Cam Sync review in 2021, the webcam “offers a nice upgrade in video call quality over your computer's built-in webcam.” It’s plug-and-play, comes with a privacy shutter, and works just fine for basic everyday use.Microphone DealsThe Razer Seiren Mini is a simple-to-use microphone for streaming or podcasting that actually sounds really good. It’s compact, easy to set up, and the audio comes through surprisingly clear and warm, especially when you position it close enough. You might want to prop it up on a few books, but once it’s at mouth level, it really shines. As our expert Tim Gideon puts it, “There’s more warmth here and less room sound than the Snowball Ice provides.” Rated “Good” overall in our 2020 Seiren Mini review, it’s a great way to upgrade your setup without spending a lot at today's sale price of $35.You can also grab this Razer Seiren Mini microphone on Walmart for $36.44.Gaming Controller DealsIf you bounce between a Switch and a PC, the 8Bitdo Pro 2 just makes life easier. The grip feels natural, the buttons have that nice clicky feedback, and switching between device profiles is super quick. As PCMag's Will Greenwald puts it, “Whatever system you use it with, the Pro 2 simply feels very good to use.” That’s why it earned an “Outstanding” rating and the 2021 Editors’ Choice award in our 8Bitdo Pro 2 review. Honestly, for under $40, there's no better time to buy.Speaker DealsThe Sony SRS-XB100 offers rich, crisp sound for its compact size, making it a standout among portable Bluetooth speakers. Its fully dust-tight and waterproof design ensures durability and reliability in various environments. The speaker also features a clear speakerphone mic, enhancing its functionality for calls on the go. In our 2023 SRS-XB100 review, the expert states, "It's easy to recommend if you want a compact, waterproof speaker that pumps out robust, detailed sound." That's why we gave it an "Excellent" rating. Its compact, adventure-ready design and enhanced sound quality make it a valuable choice for music lovers at just under $40.You can also get this Sony SRS-XB100 Speaker at Walmart for $39.99.The JBL Go 3 speaker is small enough to clip onto a bag or drop into a pocket, making it a great choice for travel and outdoor use. The waterproof build handles splashes and showers with ease. Vocals and highs come through crisp and clear, while bass is limited but present enough to keep tracks sounding full. It reaches impressive volume levels without distortion. As our audio expert Tim Gideon says, “For $40, you can't expect audio fireworks, but the JBL Go 3 certainly gets the job done, with clean, relatively loud mono audio from its compact frame." With an “Excellent” rating in our 2020 JBL Go 3 review and rugged design, it’s difficult to find anything better at this sale price of $30.You can also grab the JBL Go 3 on Walmart for $29.95.Thermostat DealsControl the temperature in your house with the Amazon smart programmable thermostat. This highly affordable device supports Alexa voice commands and has a smartphone app. That means you can dial up or down the heat without leaving your bed. Plus, it integrates well with Amazon smart home solutions, making a complete ecosystem for your house. It also reports the energy usage so you can make smart decisions to cut off your electricity bill. It earns an "Excellent" rating in our review, in which our expert states, "Amazon Smart Thermostat is a solid option that also happens to be the least expensive model we've tested." The current 29% discount makes it judicious to bring the thermostat home.Headphone DealsThe Razer Blackshark V2 is a wired headset that nails gaming audio without wrecking your wallet. It's super lightweight, stays comfy during long sessions, and the THX Spatial Audio gives you that "where-the-heck-did-that-shot-come-from" edge in shooters. You can tweak everything through the Razer Synapse app, but honestly, the mic sounds crisp even without adjustments. As Will Greenwald puts it, “the microphone on the Blackshark V2 sounds excellent,” and it is proven in our tests. For $37 only, this thing is stacked. It scored an “Outstanding” rating and even snagged the Editors’ Choice award in our 2020 Razer Blackshark V2 review, which tells you all you need to know.Video Doorbell DealsThe Blink Video Doorbell + Sync Module 2 is an affordable and versatile home security solution, offering both wired and wireless installation options. It integrates seamlessly with Amazon Alexa, allowing easy control and monitoring. The device delivers sharp 1080p video, impressive image quality with rich daytime colors, and clear night vision. Installation is straightforward, and it includes a range of mounting accessories. The Sync Module 2 extends battery life and provides local storage options, supporting up to 10 Blink cameras. Additionally, two-way audio is loud and clear, enhancing communication with visitors. Scan through our Blink Video Doorbell review to learn more about its pros and cons.We’re finding Memorial Day Deals everywhere, from retailers like Amazon and Walmart to top brands like Apple and HP. And don’t forget to check out all of the Memorial Day Deals Under $100 and Under $50. But, if you’re looking for something more specific, we’ve rounded up the following holiday deals for you:

Want to watch history being preserved in real time? The Internet Archive, the digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts, has started livestreaming on YouTube from its scanning center in California for anyone to watch. Monday through Friday, from 10:30 a.m. ET to 6:30 p.m. ET, viewers can tune in and watch live as fragile film cards are turned into searchable public documents, soundtracked to relaxing lo-fi beats. This work is part of Democracy’s Library, a global initiative to digitize and make publicly available millions of government records. “This livestream shines a light on the unsung work of preserving the public record and the critical infrastructure that makes democracy searchable,” said Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive. “Transparency can’t be passive—it must be built, maintained, and seen. That’s what this livestream is all about.” If you’re confused about what exactly you’re watching on the livestream, scanning operators are specifically working with documents on microfiche, a flat piece of film containing microphotographs of the pages of documents. This format dates back to the mid-20th century and has been used to archive newspapers, court documents, government records, and more. “The livestream features five active microfiche digitization stations, with a close-up view of one in action,” Chris Freeland, the Internet Archive’s director of library services, explains in a blog post on the site. “Operators feed microfiche cards beneath a high-resolution camera, which captures multiple detailed images of each sheet. Software stitches these images together, after which other team members use automated tools to identify and crop up to 100 individual pages per card.” “Each page is then processed, made fully text-searchable, and added to the Internet Archive’s public collections—complete with metadata—so that researchers, journalists, and the general public can explore and download them freely,” the blog post adds. This livestream was brought to life by Sophia Tung, a software engineer and app developer. She is also behind the 24/7 livestream of a Waymo parking lot that went viral last year. In off hours, the Internet Archive livestream turns into a stream of silent films and historical images from NASA to keep viewers entertained. There is also a live chat. “This is such a good vibe to work on research,” one viewer commented. “I hope your work is as mysterious and important as this,” Tung replied.

May 22, 20255 min readHypervelocity Stars Hint at a Supermassive Black Hole Right Next DoorSome stars streaking through the Milky Way at millions of kilometers per hour probably trace back to a supermassive black hole in a neighboring galaxyBy Phil Plait edited by Lee BillingsAn artist’s concept of a hypervelocity star streaking through the Milky Way, surrounded by slower-moving stars. NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC)An astonishing fact only known for the past few decades is that every big galaxy in the universe has a supermassive black hole at its heart. This was suspected in the 1980s, and observations from the Hubble Space Telescope, which has peered deep into the cores of galaxies all across the sky, confirmed it. The “normal” kinds of black holes made when stars explode range from five to about 100 times the mass of the sun, more or less. But these central galactic monsters are millions of times more massive, and some have grown to the Brobdingnagian heft of billions of solar masses.A lot of mysteries still remain, of course, such as how they formed early in the history of the universe, how they grew so humongous so fast and what role they played in their host galaxy’s formation. But one odd question still nagging at astronomers is: What’s the galaxy size cutoff where this trend stops? In other words, is there some lower limit to how massive a galaxy can be and still harbor one of these beasts?The inklings of an answer are emerging from a surprising place: studies of rare stars moving through our own galaxy at truly ludicrous speeds.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Orbiting our Milky Way galaxy is a menagerie of smaller “dwarf” galaxies, some so tiny and faint you need huge telescopes to see them at all. But two are so large and close that they’re visible to the unaided eye from the Southern Hemisphere: the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is the bigger and closer of the two, and it’s not clear if it harbors a supermassive black hole (SMBH). If such an SMBH exists there, it must be quiescent, meaning it’s not actively feeding on matter. As material falls toward such a black hole, it forms a swirling disk of superheated plasma that can glow so brightly it outshines all the stars in the galaxy combined. No such fierce luminescence is seen in the LMC, so we don’t know if an SMBH is there and not actively feeding or if the LMC is simply SMBH-free.But a recent study published in the Astrophysical Journal offers strong evidence that an SMBH does lie at the center of the LMC—based on measurements of stellar motions in our own Milky Way!The study looked at hypervelocity stars, ones that are screaming through space at speeds far higher than stars around them. Some of these stars are moving so rapidly that they have reached galactic escape velocity; the Milky Way’s gravity can’t hold them. In the coming eons, they’ll flee the galaxy entirely. And we have good reason to believe these runaway stars were launched by SMBHs—but how?Such a situation starts with a binary system, two stars orbiting each other. These systems contain a substantial amount of orbital energy, the sum of the kinetic energy of the two stars—their energy of motion—and their gravitational potential energy, the amount of energy released if they were to move closer together.If the binary star approaches a third object, some of that energy can be swapped around. One star can become bound to the third object, for example, while the other star can get a kick in its kinetic energy, flinging it away. The amount of the kick depends in part on the gravity of the third object. A massive black hole, of course, has an incredibly strong gravitational field that can fling the star away at high speed.And I do mean high speed; such a star can be flung away from the black hole at a velocity greater than 1,000 kilometers per second. S5-HVS1, for example, was the first confirmed such hypervelocity star, and it’s moving at more than 1,700 kilometers per second. Feel free to take a moment to absorb that fact: an entire star has been ejected away from a black hole at more than six million kilometers per hour. The energies involved are terrifying.We have seen a few of these stars in our galaxy, and careful measurements suggest they’re moving away from the center of the Milky Way, which is pretty convincing evidence that Sagittarius A*, our own Milky Way’s SMBH, is to blame.But not all of the high-velocity stars that have been detected appear to come from our galactic center. Fortunately, Gaia, the sadly now decommissioned European Space Agency astronomical observatory, was designed to obtain extremely accurate measurements of the positions, distances, colors and other characteristics of well more than a billion stars—including their velocity.There are 21 known hypervelocity stars at the outskirts of the Milky Way. Using the phenomenally high-precision Gaia measurements, the astronomers behind the new research examined the stars’ 3D velocities through space. They found that five of them have ambiguous origins, while two definitely come from the Milky Way center. Of the 14 still left, three clearly come from the direction of the LMC.The trajectories of these stars effectively point back to their origin, and based on our current knowledge, that origin must be a supermassive black hole. Even better, although the remaining 11 stars have trajectories that are consistent with both Milky Way and LMC origins, the researchers found that five are more likely to have come from our home galaxy and the other six are more likely to have come from the LMC.So there could be nine known hypervelocity stars plunging through our galaxy that were ejected by a supermassive black hole in another galaxy.Using some sophisticated math, the team found that the most likely mass of the black hole is 600,000 or so times the mass of the sun. This isn’t huge for an SMBH—it’s very much on the low end of the scale, in fact—but then, the LMC is a small galaxy, only 1 percent or so the mass of the Milky Way. We know that the mass of a black hole tends to scale with its host galaxy’s mass (because they form together and affect each other’s growth), so this lower mass is consistent with that.If this is true, then our satellite galaxy is shooting stars at us! And there may be more of them yet to be found, hurtling through space unseen on the other side of our galaxy, or so far out that they’re difficult to spot and even harder to study. And all this helps us get a clearer—but still quite hazy!—sense of just how far down the galactic scale we can expect to find big black holes.Black holes are funny. Most people would worry about falling into one, as well as a host of other terrors, but now you can add “having to dodge intergalactic stellar bullets” to that list.

texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia About This GameDeveloper: Questline Publisher: Awaken Realms Genre: RPG / Action / Open World Platforms: PC (Steam), PS5, XBS Price: $44.99/43,99€ (Pricing varies by region and platform.) Release Date: May 23rd, 2025 Game Length: 50-70 hours 10/10 https://gamerant.com/tainted-grail-fall-of-avalon-review/ What makes The Fall of Avalon worth playing isn't just its reverence for classic RPGs, but how it reinterprets their ideas through a much darker lens. Questline's take on Arthurian myth is an intense and mature narrative, pulling players through a crumbling world where every choice feels like it might be the wrong one. There are lessons here, but more than anything, there's a story that feels like it was made for players who still crave consequence, immersion, and discovery in their RPGs. And while it might stumble in execution at times, it rarely loses sight of what it's trying to be. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 8/10 https://www.dualshockers.com/tainted-grail-the-fall-of-avalon-review/ Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is an adventure to behold, especially for those who are fans of Oblivion and Skyrim. With endless build variety, a beautiful dark fantasy world, an interesting story, and satisfying combat that feels weighty, this game is a great choice for RPG enthusiasts. While the game can feel like it's still in early access in some ways, specifically with its enemy AI, outdated character models, and a world that can feel too empty in parts, none of these issues take away from what makes Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon so special. It's a project where passion is on full display and I can't wait to see what Questline does next. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 7/10 Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon - Flawed In The Stone (Review) Tainted Grail: The Fall of AvalonReleased: May 23rd, 2025Developer: Awaken Realms, QuestlinePublisher: Awaken RealmsSystems: PC, PS5 (reviewed), Xbox Series Copy provided by publisherJohn Carpenter’s The Thing is one of my favorite movies, not least for the fascinating concept behind its titular... www.thejimquisition.com Perhaps it will be given the same grace (some early reviews have been quite positive). It's got less of a budget but a lot more heart than its "AAA" templates. It seems to be rooted in the archaic out of genuine love for the style as opposed to rote complacency, which counts for something. Given the size of the game relative to the size of the developer, it deserves to be called ambitious. As a result, I'm far more inclined toward leniency than I have been elsewhere. Plus, y'know, I had fun with it. Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is doing its little best, and if Skyrim is a hallmark of roleplaying quality, then Tainted Grail's best has to be good enough. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 8.5/10 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon | Recensione Ci siamo tuffati nelle leggende arturiane con la versione 1.0 di Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon: nella recensione vi raccontiamo com'è andata. www.spaziogames.it If it is true that Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon does not shine in its technical sector and is a bit of a set of successful ideas sewn in a new way, it is also true that succeeding in this operation was anything but trivial. The developers have never hidden their (illustrious) sources of inspiration, and have thus created a love letter for open-world role-playing games, declined in a successful and engaging dark fantasy atmosphere - capable of stealing the hearts of lovers of the genre and, why not, of approaching new ones. It took some time in early access to get to this result, but it was certainly worth it. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 8.5/10 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon | Recensione | The Games Machine Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon è un RPG open world con combattimenti intensi, progressione libera e riscrittura cruda del mito di Re Artù. www.thegamesmachine.it The developers of Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon call it a love letter to open-world RPGs as if the game were just a tribute to the cornerstones of the genre such as Skyrim or Oblivion, when in reality we are faced with a production with great personality, spectacular from an artistic point of view and with a plot intricate enough to glue us to the monitor for a long time. The gameplay does not aim to revolutionize the genre, but offers everything you could want from a modern RPG, reinterpreting the story of King Arthur in a dark key full of exciting combat. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Review in Progress - IGN So far this is a fun but familiar open-world RPG that reimagines Arthurian myth. www.ign.com Otherwise, a lot of the 5 hours I've played of Fall of Avalon so far has been spent exploring, accidentally picking up smut, talking to people, and so on. This is a pick up everything, speak to everybody, the world exists to be your playground kind of game, and if you've played The Elder Scrolls, you'll probably be right at home Click to expand... Click to shrink... 8/10 View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o03nU7pRdgY View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpoOeihKoZo View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeASWY7m05I View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6ViWUExbDY I will add more when posted.  Last edited: 16 minutes ago MacheteSquadSteve Member Jan 6, 2025 285 there's a story that feels like it was made for players who still crave consequence, immersion, and discovery in their RPGs. Click to expand... Click to shrink... That's encouraging. I enjoyed the demo and already planned on checking this out at some point. I just don't have it in me to start another lengthy RPG.   TripleBee Prophet of Truth Member Oct 30, 2017 7,510 Canada Good reviews. Just wondering about performance on console really. I assume I should go PS5 pro over Series X, but also there's a bunch of visual sliders for quality - would be nice to have an idea of how stable it is in the bigger world.   Niosai One Winged Slayer Member Oct 28, 2017 5,235 This game's a ton of fun. I have a review in the works but I can say that if you have an Elder Scrolls itch, this game does a GREAT job scratching it.   ClayModel Member Oct 29, 2017 2,241 Decent reviews, the demo convinced me well enough to get to it one day.   Nameless Member Oct 25, 2017 17,262 I've been looking forward to this but I think I'll give them some patch time as post Early Access areas sound prone to broken side quests and such. Plus I'm still working my way through Oblivion + Clair Obscur, so it's probably not the best idea to bring a 60+ hour game into the mix.  Rhaknar Member Oct 26, 2017 51,799 do we know how much this is on console yet?   OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia Review in progress. https://www.mmorpg.com/previews/the-rpg-files-tainted-grail-the-fall-of-avalon-review-in-progress-2000135010?amp=true Between the combat, enemy design, story, and draw to explore one more area, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon has been a great early game experience. I do have two concerns that I will explore more in the final review. Something about the gameplay is missing polish in specific aspects; I can't quite put my finger on it yet. I don't know if it's just some of the timings for combat or a combination of minor things. Also, while the character skills look quite varied, I don't know how much depth they actually have or how engaging specializing in a particular weapon or magic will be. Click to expand... Click to shrink...   chainlinkspiral Member Oct 25, 2017 12,502 Pretty swell reviews! The board game is an all timer.   Buckle Member Oct 27, 2017 44,645 Niosai said: This game's a ton of fun. I have a review in the works but I can say that if you have an Elder Scrolls itch, this game does a GREAT job scratching it. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Is magic as fun to use as it was in Skyrim? I had a blast going double barreled flame throwers and necromancy. Thats all I need to know.  Oliver James Avenger Oct 25, 2017 9,832 Damn, I didn't know about this game. I will try and get this.   Gavalanche Prophet of Regret Member Oct 21, 2021 25,954 The reviews kind of remind me of Drova, which was my GOTY last year. This game feels right up my alley!! Too much shit to play but I will grab it anyway. Great year for RPG's.  skeezx Member Oct 27, 2017 23,777 enjoyed my time with it in early access awhile back. it undoubtedly felt early access though so i didn't invest too much time in it would like to fire it up but on the heels of Oblivion I'll probably burn out. maybe in a month or three  OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia BassForever One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 31,634 CT So is this a faithful adaptation of the board game or a game inspired by it's story/world?   FF Seraphim Member Oct 26, 2017 16,599 Tokyo Guys if you really love these types of games(oblivion, etc), pick this up. Incredible game. There is jank but it doesn't get in the way of the fun.   wasylycia Member Jan 11, 2024 65 character creator?   OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia wasylycia said: character creator? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yes, you create a custom character with their own backgrounds at the beginning. It's not very complex but it's there. View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYEXo62eR0Q   Miracle Ache Member Oct 25, 2017 1,590 Enjoyed the demo so it's nice to see the game reviewing well.   carlsojo Shinra Employee Member Oct 28, 2017 37,589 San Francisco where the fuck did this game come from why are there so many games ;'(  Cyanity Member Oct 25, 2017 10,061 What is in the water this year??? I can't play all these games!!!   dreamfall Member Oct 25, 2017 7,366 I need it badly! I can not wait for the 1.0 release, it's going to be so good!   OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia https://screenrant.com/tainted-grail-the-fall-of-avalon-review-in-progress/ For those who love dungeon-diving and grow weary of the cut-and-paste approach in these types of games, worry not, as all the interiors here have a noticeable maker's mark. The massive legacy dungeons like Sagremor's Keep are ostentatious centerpiece adventures, but even the many smaller caves and outposts bear their own quirks, surprises, and unique characters. Playing a massive open-world RPG that values its players' time investment is gratifying. I never roll my eyes at a cliché in Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon because it so frequently subverts them outright, nor do I ever fret over some daft resource-gathering distraction or unnecessary spot of padding. Even 40 hours in, it's been primarily killer over filler, so let's see what's yet to come in its endgame. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 7.5/10 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon – Análise – Vale a Pena – Review Desenvolvido pela Awaken Realms, um estúdio polonês conhecido pelo trabalho com jogos de tabuleiro, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon é uma adaptação criticalhits.com.br Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is an open-world RPG inspired by Arthurian legends and influenced by games like The Elder Scrolls, bringing an engaging and original narrative. Despite the dated graphics and significant technical issues, such as frequent FPS drops and serious bugs at launch, the game stands out for immersive exploration, full of secrets and intriguing locations. With a well-constructed dark atmosphere and deep mechanics, it's a rewarding experience for fans of the genre who are willing to overlook these initial technical limitations. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 7.2/10 Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon Review | A Worthy Alternative｜Game8 2025.05.22 Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon is a new indie open-world RPG where you explore Avalon and shape its future in this dark reimagination. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying. game8.co Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon is an RPG to look out for. For $44.99, it's a steal for how much content there is in the game. The devs have spent the time and effort to make it as good as it is now, which is evident in the quality and quantity of the first two acts. However, it may take a bit more time for the third act to be polished, as the first two acts were available in early access and were tested for a longer time. Nevertheless, it's a game that we recommend if you're looking for an alternative to play besides Skyrim, Avowed, and Oblivion, as this game is a clear competitor in the same genre. Click to expand... Click to shrink...   Last edited: Today at 12:12 AM wasylycia Member Jan 11, 2024 65 texhnolyze said: Yes, you create a custom character with their own backgrounds at the beginning. It's not very complex but it's there. View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYEXo62eR0Q Click to expand... Click to shrink... appreciate it! this is the most "what is this game" to "i want this day 1" feeling ive had in a long time lol. anyone able to get this on ps5 yet/know the release time? just seeing the demo  Elfgore Member Mar 2, 2020 5,221 Damn, those reviews are pretty solid. Looking forward to it!   OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia wasylycia said: appreciate it! this is the most "what is this game" to "i want this day 1" feeling ive had in a long time lol. anyone able to get this on ps5 yet/know the release time? just seeing the demo Click to expand... Click to shrink... I think it will release at the same time everywhere, later today at 5pm CET.   Gavalanche Prophet of Regret Member Oct 21, 2021 25,954 This is where my boycott of xbox is paying off! I was really really wanting to play Oblivion, so now a weirder maybe more janky version has come out and I am not burnt out on Oblivion? Perfect.   SpellSwordFoxx Member Feb 27, 2025 446 yup, reviews convinced me. gonna jump in as a spellsword, as usual. maybe also try unarmed for the fun.  Puffins Member Nov 1, 2024 325 This sounds great. Liking the comparison to Elder Scrolls - did not expect that at all.   Yam's Member Oct 27, 2017 4,583 It seems like it may be worth waiting for a bit to give them time to polish it more, and maybe add a bit more content to the last area (even if the game is already quite long).   OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Review – A Broken Masterpiece? When Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon first entered the conversation, it looked like just another attempt to ride Skyrim’s coattails. But beneath its rough edges lies a game that delivers a uniquely intense and atmospheric experience. It doesn’t pretend to be triple-A, nor does it need to. From... www.gamer.org Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is not polished to perfection. Animations falter, systems sometimes clash, and bugs are part of the ride. But what it lacks in refinement, it makes up for in heart. This is a rare open-world RPG where discovery feels meaningful, combat feels dangerous, and the world itself tells a story through its decay. It's a rough gem—one that clearly comes from a smaller team with big ideas. If you can accept its quirks, you'll find something genuinely memorable beneath the jank. And for under $50, it delivers more than many full-priced RPGs released this year. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 7.8/10 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Review - GamersRD.com Aquellos jugadores que como yo, les gusta la fórmula The Elder Scrolls, o lo que es lo mismo, RPG de mundo abierto, tendrán en Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon un buen candidato. Es un título basado en un juego de mesa, desarrollado por el estudio con sede en Polonia, Awaken Realms, en el que […] gamersrd.com Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is a title heavily inspired by the open worlds of The Elder Scrolls. It doesn't intend to reinvent the formula, but its setting inspired by the Arthurian legend and its freedom to build the character to our liking give it its own identity. The game shines more for its atmosphere, narrative and classic role-playing mechanics than for its graphic innovation, as some technical and visual aspects betray its modest origins. The leisurely progression, challenging combat and free exploration are its calling card, and it does not disappoint. It's not without its flaws, but these don't overshadow a rewarding experience for fans looking for something similar to TES/Fallout. If you're willing to forgive certain graphical limitations and a slower pace, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon offers a dark, deep, and immersive journey. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 8.2/10 Análisis Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, el ambicioso sucesor espiritual de Oblivion creado por un equipo independiente Análisis y opinión de Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, un juego que rinde homenaje a clásicos como Skyrim con una aventura de proporciones épicas. www.hobbyconsolas.com In many fantasy RPGs, the story is a backdrop, a mere formality that serves to start the game. This is not the case with Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, which articulates its plot with the suggestive universe created by Awaken Realms in its original board game. The "Indie Oblivion" is everything we can hope for, and even more. With nearly 100 hours of content, a variety of activities, a versatile combat system, and superb freedom, The Fall of Avalon is a must-have in the genre of RPGs in the style of The Elder Scrolls. Click to expand... Click to shrink... View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6ViWUExbDY   ProdigyZA Member Jun 9, 2024 1,523 Reviews are great, really seems like the main issue was the bugs, but the actual game is really well done and content rich and a must play for Elder Scrolls fans.   LifeInTheFactory Member Jun 3, 2018 591 London BassForever said: So is this a faithful adaptation of the board game or a game inspired by it's story/world? Click to expand... Click to shrink... It's a first person RPG similar to Elder Scrolls, so it's not an adaption of the board game. But I'm a little puzzled as well. Is there any review out that talks about how this exactly relates to the board game, aside from name and scenario? I haven't read all of them, but couldn't find anything about it by skimming through a few reviews.  Kalentan Member Oct 25, 2017 50,673 LifeInTheFactory said: It's a first person RPG similar to Elder Scrolls, so it's not an adaption of the board game. But I'm a little puzzled as well. Is there any review out that talks about how this exactly relates to the board game, aside from name and scenario? I haven't read all of them, but couldn't find anything about it by skimming through a few reviews. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Correct me if I'm wrong, but the previous game before this was Tainted Grail: Conquest in 2021 which was a Rogue-lite Deckbuilder that came out into Early Access 1 year after the board game released. This seems to be a follow up in some kind to that game? A google search indicates the creator of the board game did work with the studio on these, or at least on Conquest.  OP OP texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,475 Indonesia LifeInTheFactory said: It's a first person RPG similar to Elder Scrolls, so it's not an adaption of the board game. But I'm a little puzzled as well. Is there any review out that talks about how this exactly relates to the board game, aside from name and scenario? I haven't read all of them, but couldn't find anything about it by skimming through a few reviews. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Here's some bits from the hobbyconsolas review. Seems like a retelling of the same story with its own twist or some sort. If you're a fan of tabletop role-playing, you'll have recognized the history. It is the same plot as the board game created by Marcin Świerkot and Krzysztof Piskorski; in fact, much of the art of it, and even some cinematics, are extracted from that title. In many fantasy RPGs, the story is a backdrop, a mere formality that serves to start the game. This is not the case with Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, which articulates its plot with the suggestive universe created by Awaken Realms in its original board game. Click to expand... Click to shrink...   Euler Member Oct 27, 2017 5,824 I really enjoy the vibes in the board game. Once I get some time I'll check this out.   Risev "This guy are sick" Member Oct 27, 2017 3,906 When does this release? Anyone got a timesheet for release hours?   weblaus Member Oct 27, 2017 1,062 TripleBee said: Good reviews. Just wondering about performance on console really. I assume I should go PS5 pro over Series X, but also there's a bunch of visual sliders for quality - would be nice to have an idea of how stable it is in the bigger world. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I haven't checked if they already have the planned updates out on consoles in the last few days, but in the original review copy state on both PS5 Pro and Series X the framerate had huge drops once you reach the first open world area and curiously especially in the first city (I stopped playing there for now) - really hope they can get that fixed as anyone who is somewhat sesitive to unstable framerates likely wouldn't much enjoy that.  Ganepark32 Member Nov 21, 2021 2,688 Risev said: When does this release? Anyone got a timesheet for release hours? Click to expand... Click to shrink... I believe it's releasing at 9am PST/12pm EST/5pm BST/6pm CEST. 8 hours, 11 minutes 

Dubbed the Bellbird, this compact, single-level tiny house is thoughtfully designed for two people and is especially suited to warmer climates. Its layout encourages an easy flow between indoor and outdoor spaces, featuring a spacious front porch that’s perfect for relaxing, dining, or entertaining guests in the open air. Built by Australia’s Unplgd Tiny Homes, the Bellbird measures 6 meters (20 feet) in length and is constructed on a sturdy triple-axle trailer, ensuring both stability and mobility. The exterior showcases a modern blend of wood and metal finishes, creating a look that is both contemporary and welcoming. Inside, large glass doors and generous windows fill the home with natural light, enhancing the feeling of space and comfort. For added versatility, the Bellbird offers a range of optional upgrades, including off-grid features such as solar panels, batteries, and water storage, making it an appealing choice for those seeking sustainable, flexible living solutions. Designer: Unplgd Tiny Homes Entry to the Bellbird is through the porch and double glass sliding doors, leading directly into a bright kitchen filled with natural light from ample windows. The kitchen is equipped with a sink, a compact fridge, a microwave, and plenty of cabinetry and shelving for storage. There’s also a long drop-down table that doubles as a dining area or workspace. On the opposite side, the living and sleeping areas are combined. The featured model includes a sofa bed, making it comfortable for up to two people and maximizing the use of space for relaxation. Between the kitchen and the living/sleeping area of the Bellbird, you’ll find the compact bathroom. Despite its small size, it’s cleverly designed to maximize space and functionality. The bathroom features a space-saving flushing toilet with an integrated sink on top, allowing for efficient water use, as well as a shower. This setup ensures all basic comforts are covered without wasting valuable floor space. The Bellbird also offers a wide range of optional upgrades to suit different needs and preferences. Notable options include adding an oven and stove to the kitchen for expanded cooking capabilities, or an outdoor bath, likely placed on the porch for a unique open-air experience. For those seeking extra privacy, an upstairs loft can be added to create a dedicated bedroom. There’s also the option to go fully off-grid, with solar panels, batteries, and water storage, making the Bellbird a flexible choice for various lifestyles. The featured Bellbird is a former demonstration model and is now available for purchase at approximately US$57,000. The Bellbird tiny house is blessed with a thoughtful design, flexible upgrade options, and a focus on indoor/outdoor living. This compact dwelling offers a comfortable and stylish solution, making it an excellent choice for anyone ready to embrace a simpler lifestyle. The post This Single-Level Tiny House Shines With Indoor/Outdoor Living & Off-Grid Upgrades first appeared on Yanko Design.

Designing human-centered AI products can be arduous.Keeping up with the overall pace of change isn’t easy. But here’s a bigger challenge:The wildly different paces of change attached to the key elements of AI product strategy, design, and development can make managing those elements — and even thinking about them — overwhelming.Yesterday’s design processes and frameworks offer priceless guidance that still holds. But in many spots, they just don’t fit today’s environment.For instance, designers used to map out and user-test precise, predictable end-to-end screen flows. But flows are no longer precisely predictable. AI generates dynamic dialogues and custom-tailored flows on the fly, rendering much of the old practice unhelpful and infeasible.It’s easy for product teams to feel adrift nowadays — we can hoist the sails, but we’re missing a map and a rudder. We need frameworks tailored to the traits that fundamentally set AI apart from traditional software, including:its capabilities for autonomy and collaboration,its probabilistic nature,its early need for quality data, andits predictable unpredictability. Humans tend to be perpetually surprised by its abilities — and its inabilities.AI pace layers: design for resilienceHere’s a framework to address these challenges.Building on Stewart Brand’s “Shearing Layers” framework, AI Pace Layers helps teams grow thriving AI products by framing them as layered systems with components that function and evolve at different timescales.It helps anticipate points of friction and create resilient and humane products.Each layer represents a specific domain of activity and responsibility, with a distinct pace of change.* Unlike the other layers, Services cuts across multiple layers rather than sitting between them, and its pace of change fluctuates erratically.Boundaries between layers call for special attention and care — friction at these points can produce destructive shearing and constructive turbulence.I’ll dive deeper into this framework with some practical examples showing how it works. But first, a brief review of the precursors that inspired this framework will help you put it to good use.The foundationsThis model builds on the insights of several influential design frameworks from the professions of building architecture and traditional software design.Shearing layers (Duffy and Brand)In his 1994 book How Buildings Learn, Stewart Brand expanded on architect Frank Duffy’s concept of shearing layers. The core insight: buildings consist of components that change at different rates.Shell, Services, Scenery, and Sets. (Frank Duffy, 1992).“…there isn’t any such thing as a building. A building properly conceived is several layers of longevity of built components.” — Frank DuffyShearing Layers of Change, from How Buildings Learn: What Happens after they’re built (Stewart Brand, 1994).Expanding on Duffy’s work, Brand identified six layers, from the slow-changing “Site” to the rapidly evolving “Stuff.”As the layers move at different speeds, friction forms where they meet. Buildings designed without mindful consideration of these different velocities tear themselves apart at these “shearing” points. Before long, they tend to be demolished and replaced.Buildings designed for resiliency allow for “slippage” between the moving layers — flexibility for the different rates of change to unfold with minimal conflict. Such buildings can thrive and remain useful for hundreds of years.Pace layers (Brand)In 1999, Brand drew insights from ecologists to expand this concept beyond buildings and encompass human society. In The Clock Of The Long Now: Time And Responsibility, he proposed “Pace Layers” — six levels ranging from rapid fashion to glacially-slow nature.Brand’s Pace Layers (1999) as sketched by Jono Hey.Brand again pointed out the boundaries, where the most intriguing and consequential changes emerge. Friction at the tension points can tear a building apart — or spur a civilization’s collapse–when we try to bind the layers too tightly together. But with mindful design and planning for slippage, activity along these boundary zones can also generate “constructive turbulence” that keeps systems balanced and resilient.The most successful systems survive and thrive through times of change through resiliency, by absorbing and incorporating shocks.“…a few scientists (such as R. V. O’Neill and C. S. Holling) have been probing the same issue in ecological systems: how do they manage change, how do they absorb and incorporate shocks? The answer appears to lie in the relationship between components in a system that have different change-rates and different scales of size. Instead of breaking under stress like something brittle, these systems yield as if they were soft. Some parts respond quickly to the shock, allowing slower parts to ignore the shock and maintain their steady duties of system continuity.” — Stewart BrandRoles and tendencies of the fast (upper) and slow (lower) layers. (Brand).Slower layers provide constraints and underpinnings for the faster layers, while faster layers induce adaptations in the slower layers that evolve the system.Elements of UX (Garrett)Jesse James Garrett’s classic The Elements of User Experience (2002) presents a five-layer model for digital design:Surface (visual design)Skeleton (interface design, navigation design, information design)Structure (interaction design, information architecture)Scope (functional specs, content requirements)Strategy (user needs, site objectives)Structure, Scope, and Strategy. Each layer answers a different set of questions, with the questions answered at each level setting constraints for the levels above. Lower layers set boundaries and underpinnings that help define the more concrete layers.Jesse James Garrett’s 5 layers from The Elements of User Experience Design (2002)This framework doesn’t focus on time, or on tension points resulting from conflicting velocities. But it provides a comprehensive structure for shaping different aspects of digital product design, from abstract strategy to concrete surface elements.AI Pace Layers: diving deeperBuilding on these foundations, the AI Pace Layers framework adapts these concepts specifically for AI systems design.Let’s explore each layer and understand how design expertise contributes across the framework.SessionsPace of change: Very fast (milliseconds to minutes)Focus: Performance of real-time interactions.This layer encompasses real-time dialogue, reasoning, and processing. These interplays happen between the user and AI, and between AI agents and other services and people, on behalf of the user. Sessions draw on lower-layer capabilities and components to deliver the “moments of truth” where product experiences succeed or fail. Feedback from the Sessions layer is crucial for improving and evolving the lower layers.Key contributors: Users and AI agents — usually with zero direct human involvement backstage.Example actions/decisions/artifacts: User/AI dialogue. Audio, video, text, images, and widgets are rendered on the fly (using building blocks provided by lower levels). Real-time adaptations to context.SkinPace of change: Moderately fast (days to months)Focus: Design patterns, guidelines, and assetsSkin encompasses visual, interaction, and content design.Key contributors: Designers, content strategists, front-end developers, and user researchers.Design’s role: This is where designers’ traditional expertise shines. They craft the interface elements, establish visual language, define interaction patterns, and create the design systems that represent the product’s capabilities to users.Example actions/decisions/artifacts: UI component libraries, brand guidelines, prompt templates, tone of voice guidelines, navigation systems, visual design systems, patterns (UI, interaction, and conversation), content style guides.ServicesPace of change: Wildly variable (slow to moderately fast)Focus: AI computation capabilities, data systems orchestration, and operational intelligenceThe Services layer provides probabilistic AI capabilities that sometimes feel like superpowers — and like superpowers, they can be difficult to manage. It encompasses foundation models, algorithms, data pipelines, evaluation frameworks, business logic, and computing resources.Services is an outlier that behaves differently from the other layers:• It’s more prone to “shocks” and surprises that can ripple across the rest of the system.• It varies wildly in pace of change. (But its components rarely change faster than Skin, or slower than Skeleton.)• It cuts across multiple layers rather than sitting between two of them. That produces more cross-layer boundaries, more tension points, more risks of destructive friction, and more opportunities for constructive turbulence.Key contributors: Data scientists, engineers, service designers, ethicists, product teamsDesign’s role: Designers partner with technical teams on evaluation frameworks, helping define what “good” looks like from a human experience perspective. They contribute to guardrails, monitoring systems, and multi-agent collaboration patterns, ensuring technical capabilities translate to meaningful human experiences. Service design expertise helps orchestrate complex, multi-touchpoint AI capabilities.Example actions/decisions/artifacts: Foundation model selection, changes, and fine-tuning. Evals, monitoring systems, guardrails, performance metrics. Business rules, workflow orchestration. Multiagent collaboration and use of external tools (APIs, A2A, MCP, etc.) Continual appraisal and adoption of new tools, protocols, and capabilities.SkeletonPace of change: Moderately slow (months) Focus: Fundamental structure and organizationThis layer establishes the foundational architecture — the core interaction models, information architecture and organizing principles.Key contributors: Information architects, information designers, user researchers, system architects, engineersDesign’s role: Designers with information architecture expertise are important in this layer. They design taxonomies, knowledge graphs, and classification systems that make complex AI capabilities comprehensible and usable. UX researchers help ensure these structures fit the audience’s mental models, contexts, and expectations.Example actions/decisions/artifacts: Taxonomies, knowledge graphs, data models, system architecture, classification systems.ScopePace of change: Slow (months to years)Focus: Product requirementsThis layer defines core functional, content, and data requirements, accounting for the probabilistic nature of AI and defining acceptable levels of performance and variance.Key contributors: Product managers, design strategists, design researchers, business stakeholders, data scientists, trust & safety specialistsDesign’s role: Design researchers and strategists contribute to requirements through generative and exploratory research. They help define error taxonomies and acceptable failure modes from a user perspective, informing metrics that capture technical performance and human experience quality. Design strategists balance technical possibilities with human needs and ethical considerations.Example actions/decisions/artifacts: Product requirements documents specifying reliability thresholds, data requirements (volume, diversity, quality standards), error taxonomies and acceptable failure modes, performance metrics frameworks, responsible AI requirements, risk assessment, core user stories and journeys, documentation of expected model variance and handling approaches.StrategyPace of change: Very slow (years)Focus: Long-term vision and business goalsThis foundation layer defines audience needs, core problems to solve, and business goals. In AI products, data strategy is central.Key contributors: Executive leadership, design leaders, product leadership, business strategists, ethics boardsDesign’s role: Design leaders define problem spaces, identify opportunities, and plan roadmaps. They deliver a balance of business needs with human values in strategy development. Designers with expertise in responsible AI help establish ethical frameworks and guiding principles that shape all other layers.Example actions/decisions/artifacts: Problem space and opportunity assessments, market positioning documents, long-term product roadmaps, comprehensive data strategy planning, user research findings on core needs, ethical frameworks and guiding principles, business model documentation, competitive/cooperative AI ecosystem mapping.Practical examples: tension points between layersTension point example 1: Bookmuse’s timeline troubles(Friction between Sessions and Skin)Bookmuse is a promising new AI tool for novelists. Samantha, a writer, tries it out while hashing out the underpinnings of her latest time-travel historical fiction thriller. The Bookmuse team planned for plenty of Samantha’s needs. At first, she considers Bookmuse a handy assistant. It supplements chats with tailored interactive visualizations that efficiently track character personalities, histories, relationships, and dramatic arcs.But Samantha is writing a story about time travelers interfering with World War I events, so she’s constantly juggling dates and timelines. Bookmuse falls short. It’s a tiny startup, and Luke, the harried cofounder who serves as a combination designer/researcher/product manager, hasn’t carved out any date-specific timeline tools or date calculators. He forgot to provide even a basic date picker in the design system.Problem: Bookmuse does its best to help Samantha with her story timeline (Sessions layer). But it lacks effective tools for the job (Skin layer). Its date and time interactions feel confusing, clumsy, and out of step with the rest of its tone, look, and feel. Whenever Samantha consults the timeline, it breaks her out of her creative flow.Constructive turbulence opportunities:a) Present feedback mechanisms that ensure this sort of “missing piece” event results in the product team learning about the type of interaction pothole that appeared — without revealing details or content that compromise Samantha’ privacy and her work. (For instance, a session tagging system can flag all interaction dead-ends during date choice interactions.)b) Improve timeline/date UI and interaction patterns. Table stakes: Standard industry-best-practice date picker components that suit Bookmuse’s style, tone, and voice. Game changers: Widgets, visualizations, and patterns tailored to the special time-tracking/exploration challenges that fiction writers often wrestle with.c) Update the core usability heuristics and universal interaction design patterns baked into the evaluation frameworks (in the Services layer), as part of regular eval reviews and updates. Result: When the team learns about a friction moment like this, they can prevent a host of future similar issues before they emerge.These improvements will make Bookmuse more resilient and useful.Tension point example 2: MedicalMind’s diagnostic dilemma(Friction between Services and Skeleton)Thousands of healthcare providers use MedicalMind, an AI-powered clinical decision support tool. Dr. Rina Patel, an internal medicine physician at a busy community hospital, relies on it to stay current with rapidly evolving medical research while managing her patient load.Thanks to a groundbreaking update, a MedicalMind AI model (Services layer) is familiar with new medical research data and can recognize newly discovered connections between previously unrelated symptoms across different medical specialties. For example, it identified patterns linking certain dermatological symptoms to early indicators of cardiovascular issues — connections not yet widely recognized in standard medical taxonomies.But MedicalMind’s information architecture (Skeleton layer) was tailored to traditional medical classification systems, so it’s organized by body system, conditions by specialty, and treatments by mechanism of action. The MedicalMind team constructed this structure based on how doctors were traditionally trained to approach medical knowledge.Problem: When Dr. Patel enters a patient’s constellation of symptoms (Sessions layer), MedicalMind’s AI can recognize potentially valuable cross-specialty patterns (Services layer). But these insights can’t be optimally organized and presented because the underlying information architecture (Skeleton layer) doesn’t easily accommodate the new findings and relationships. The AI either forces the insights into ill-fitting categories or presents them as disconnected “additional notes” that tend to be overlooked. That reduces their clinical utility and Dr. Patel’s trust in the system.Constructive turbulence opportunities:a) Create an “emerging patterns” framework within the information architecture (Skeleton layer) that can accommodate new AI-identified patterns in ways that augment, rather than disrupt, the familiar classification systems that doctors rely on.b) Design flexible visualization components and interaction patterns and styles (in the Skin layer) specifically for exploring, discussing, and documenting cross-category relationships. Let doctors toggle between traditional taxonomies and newer, AI-generated knowledge maps depending on their needs and comfort level.c) Implement a clinician feedback loop where specialists can validate and discuss new AI-surfaced relationships, gradually promoting validated patterns into the main classification system.These improvements will make MedicalMind more adaptive to emerging medical knowledge while maintaining the structural integrity that healthcare professionals rely on for critical decisions. This provides more efficient assistants for clinicians and better health for patients.Tension point example 3: ScienceSeeker’s hypothesis bottleneck(Friction between Skin and Services)ScienceSeeker is an AI research assistant used by scientists worldwide. Dr. Elena Rodriguez, a molecular biologist, uses it to investigate protein interactions for targeted cancer drug delivery.The AI engine (Services layer) recently gained the ability to generate sophisticated hypothesis trees with multiple competing explanations, track confidence levels for each branch, and identify which experiments would most efficiently disambiguate between theories. It can reason across scientific domains, connecting molecular biology with physics, chemistry, and computational modeling.But the interface (Skin layer) remains locked in a traditional chatbot paradigm — a single-threaded exchange with responses appearing sequentially in a scrolling window.Problem: The AI engine and the problem space are natively multithreaded and multimodal, but the UI is limited to single-threaded conversation. When Dr. Rodriguez inputs her experimental results (Sessions layer), the AI generates a rich, multidimensional analysis (Services layer), but must flatten this complex reasoning into linear text (Skin layer). Critical relationships between hypotheses become buried in paragraphs, probability comparisons are difficult, and the holistic picture of how variables influence multiple hypotheses is lost. Dr. Rodriguez resorts to taking screenshots and manually drawing diagrams to reconstruct the reasoning that the AI possesses but cannot visually express.Constructive turbulence opportunities:a) Develop an expandable, interactive, infinite-canvas “hypothesis tree” visualization (Skin) that helps the AI dynamically represent multiple competing explanations and their relationships. Scientists can interact with this to explore different branches spatially rather than sequentially.b) Create a dual-pane interface that maintains the chat for simple queries but provides the infinite canvas for complex reasoning, transitioning seamlessly based on response complexity.c) Implement collaborative, interactive node-based diagrams for multi-contributor experiment planning, where potential experiments appear as nodes showing how they would affect confidence in different hypothesis branches.This would transform ScienceSeeker’s limited text assistant into a scientific reasoning partner. It would help researchers visualize and interact with complex possibilities in ways that better fit how they tackle multidimensional problems.Navigating the future with AI Pace LayersAI Pace Layers offers product teams a new framework for seeing and shaping the bewildering structures and dynamics that power AI products.By recognizing the evolving layers and heeding and designing for their boundaries, AI design teams can:Transform tension points into constructive innovationAnticipate friction before it damages the product experienceGrow resilient and humane AI systems that absorb and integrate rapid technological change without losing sight of human needs.The framework’s value isn’t in rigid categorization, but in recognizing how components interact across timescales. For AI product teams, this awareness enables more thoughtful design choices that prevent destructive shearing that can tear apart an AI system.This framework is a work in progress, evolving alongside the AI landscape it describes.I’d love to hear from you, especially if you’ve built successful AI products and have insights on how this model could better reflect your experience. Please drop me a line or add a comment. Let’s develop more effective approaches to creating AI systems that enhance human potential while respecting human agency.Part of the Mindful AI Design series. Also see:The effort paradox in AI design: Why making things too easy can backfireBlack Mirror: “Override”. Dystopian storytelling for humane AI designStay updatedSubscribe to be notified when new articles in the series are published. Join our community of designers, product managers, founders and ethicists as we shape the future of mindful AI design.AI Pace Layers: a framework for resilient product design was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.