Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE Decor editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Audiophiles can argue over the perfect conditions for music listening from now to approximately eternity. This week, Valentino’s creative director Alessandro Michele, is proposing his version of the musical ideal: an installation called L’Atelier Sonore in the Madison Avenue Valentino flagship. Created in concert with architect Francesco Lupia and Terraforma, the Italian cultural collective, it launches tonight with a private, 10-hour listening party tonight, featuring some of Michele’s favorites, including artist Kevin Beasley and DJ Veronica Vasicka. The next day, the mezzanine opens to the public and will run through August. With its “bespoke sound system, a handcrafted multifunctional listening console inspired by traditional cabinet-making, and modular seating with velvet cushions,” according to a statement by Valentino, L’Atelier Sonore taps into a growing trend of ultra-luxury, bespoke listening rooms. View full post on InstagramCall them the new media room—or the new wine cellar or the new art wing—the listening rooms trending right now aren’t “man caves” or rec rooms with turntables. As much as they’re designed to enhance the sonic experience of the listener, these rooms are also built to showcase a super high-end, technically advanced sound system. Everything about them is sleek, custom, and obsessed with sound. Here, ELLE Decor investigates where listening rooms got their start, what’s happening with them now, and how to even build a listening room of your own. View full post on InstagramWhat is a listening room?Listening rooms are spaces designed to listen to music from high-quality sound systems. The key is amplification of sound quality––and not in only volume. The design is supposed to enhance the natural acoustics of a space so that listeners experience the “true” sound of the music or audio. The listening room therefore has to reduce exterior noise pollution as well as isolate the sound inside the room so it doesn’t bleed into exterior spaces. Listening rooms are similar to an evolved version of listening booths in music stores. Once the realm of audiophiles, the conversational definition of a listening room has expanded to mean spaces made for people who really like music and want to optimize their or their guests’ listening experience. Chairs are comfortable, lighting is low, and the ambiance is relaxed: These are spaces intended to foster an awareness of the way music or audio art makes you feel. What’s the history of the listening room?According to Sasha Frere-Jones, who wrote about listening rooms for Harper’s in 2022, the birth of the traditional listening bar can be traced to Japan just after World War II, when a “weak postwar economy” contributed to music lovers repurposing equipment instead of buying it new: “In the late Fifties and early Sixties, Japanese movie houses gradually upgraded to locally made pro audio, and the older stuff made its way into surplus shops. The used gear became part of listening rooms and jazz cafés.”Though they’re not popping up on every corner of major cities, the number of these types of venues continues to grow. Lists of listening bars in Los Angeles, London, New York and Berlin circulate the internet each year. Hotels are building listening rooms. The St. Augustine, in Houston, Texas has one just off the lobby, so guests can relax after checking in.Nicole FranzenIn the listening room of the St. Augustine, a sofa is by Lee Industries is covered in a striped fabric by Kravet. In tandem with the rise of listening rooms is the increasing prevalence of bespoke sound systems, like the one installed at Maison Valentino or the one made by Bridge Street Sound for Tower Labs, the Tower Records listening room in Brooklyn. Bespoke sound systems like these are typically made to suit the size and shape of the room, which inherently impacts sound waves and how listeners receive sound. And here’s another key to the space designed for reverential listening: There’s no right way to do it. Everyone listens differently just as each space impacts audio differently. The ideal setup, therefore, is up to the room’s builder. With this in mind, here are a few basic tips for constructing a listening room of one’s own. How to build a listening room at homeFirst: Identify what kind of listener you areDo you want to attempt to make a room that’s as close to perfect as possible? Or do you want to wow friends with a sound system that replicates a great music venue? Maybe you just want to optimize the space you have for the speakers you bought. Determining your listening goals will help you decide how much to invest in a listening room. Frere-Jones came up with a mnemonic device to define the different types of listening environments he identified after writing about listening rooms for Harper’s: “corner, club, cathedral, and cocoon”: The street corner is the block party experience, people are talking and ambient sounds join with the music. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the cathedral, which is how he describes the luxe listening room designed by the audiophile. Cocoon and club are in between. If you immediately react to one of these experiences, you might decide that a really good sound system in a room with a really nice chair is the extent of your listening room investment. Or you might decide it’s time to read the trade papers and consider construction on the guest room. Which takes us to step two…Second: Consult a sound expertIf you find yourself drawn to the minutiae of gear specifications: study first, build later. If you’re not, be warned: You can easily get lost in forums that describe the optimal modal density for your listening room and more. But, if this gets you going, here are a few solid resources to help you take flight:Regardless, seeking advice from an expert is helpful. And ideally, you’ll visit a few existing listening rooms to get a sense for the difference each element makes. Third: Consult a contractor. Not everyone has a lot of real estate to work with, and knowing how best to segment and insulate a space to optimize sound quality requires bonafide credentials. Consulting a contractor or specialty architect at this point is key. Though everything will depend on what you’ve got to work with and how much time and money you’ve got to invest, many elements of the listening room are built to cut down on reverberation. A few key elements to consider are:Floors: Most resources suggest solid floors that aren’t elevated above the foundation. Some say carpeting is ideal, others say concrete. Windows: Skip them, or very make sure they’re well sealed and insulated. Ceilings: Consider sound panels. Doors: As far from the sound equipment as possible. Lighting: If you’re after the reverential mood of a true listening room, consider low-light. Seating: Make it comfortable, ample, and reclining.

IS IT REAL OR IS IT AI-GENERATED? FBI warns of ongoing scam that uses deepfake audio to impersonate government officials Warning comes as the use of deepfakes in the wild are rising. Dan Goodin – May 15, 2025 5:06 pm | 18 Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more The FBI is warning people to be vigilant of an ongoing malicious messaging campaign that uses AI-generated voice audio to impersonate government officials in an attempt to trick recipients into clicking on links that can infect their computers. “Since April 2025, malicious actors have impersonated senior US officials to target individuals, many of whom are current or former senior US federal or state government officials and their contacts,” Thursday’s advisory from the bureau’s Internet Crime Complaint Center said. “If you receive a message claiming to be from a senior US official, do not assume it is authentic.” Think you can’t be fooled? Think again. The campaign's creators are sending AI-generated voice messages—better known as deepfakes—along with text messages “in an effort to establish rapport before gaining access to personal accounts,” FBI officials said. Deepfakes use AI to mimic the voice and speaking characteristics of a specific individual. The differences between the authentic and simulated speakers are often indistinguishable without trained analysis. Deepfake videos work similarly. One way to gain access to targets' devices is for the attacker to ask if the conversation can be continued on a separate messaging platform and then successfully convince the target to click on a malicious link under the guise that it will enable the alternate platform. The advisory provided no additional details about the campaign. The advisory comes amid a rise in reports of deepfaked audio and sometimes video used in fraud and espionage campaigns. Last year, password manager LastPass warned that it had been targeted in a sophisticated phishing campaign that used a combination of email, text messages, and voice calls to trick targets into divulging their master passwords. One part of the campaign included targeting a LastPass employee with a deepfake audio call that impersonated company CEO Karim Toubba. In a separate incident last year, a robocall campaign that encouraged New Hampshire Democrats to sit out the coming election used a deepfake of then-President Joe Biden’s voice. A Democratic consultant was later indicted in connection with the calls. The telco that transmitted the spoofed robocalls also agreed to pay a $1 million civil penalty for not authenticating the caller as required by FCC rules. Thursday’s advisory provided steps people can take to better detect these sorts of malicious messaging campaigns. They include: Verify the identity of the person calling you or sending text or voice messages. Before responding, research the originating number, organization, and/or person purporting to contact you. Then independently identify a phone number for the person and call to verify their authenticity. Carefully examine the email address; messaging contact information, including phone numbers; URLs; and spelling used in any correspondence or communications. Scammers often use slight differences to deceive you and gain your trust. For instance, actors can incorporate publicly available photographs in text messages, use minor alterations in names and contact information, or use AI-generated voices to masquerade as a known contact. Look for subtle imperfections in images and videos, such as distorted hands or feet, unrealistic facial features, indistinct or irregular faces, unrealistic accessories such as glasses or jewelry, inaccurate shadows, watermarks, voice call lag time, voice matching, and unnatural movements. Listen closely to the tone and word choice to distinguish between a legitimate phone call or voice message from a known contact and AI-generated voice cloning, as they can sound nearly identical. AI-generated content has advanced to the point that it is often difficult to identify. When in doubt about the authenticity of someone wishing to communicate with you, contact your relevant security officials or the FBI for help. The guidance is helpful, but it doesn't take into account some of the challenges targets of such scams face. Often, the senders create a sense of urgency by claiming there is some sort of ongoing emergency that requires an immediate response. It's also not clear how people can reliably confirm that phone numbers, email addresses, or URLs are authentic. The bottom line is that there is no magic bullet to ward off these sorts of scams. Admitting that no one is immune to being fooled is key to defending against them. Dan Goodin Senior Security Editor Dan Goodin Senior Security Editor Dan Goodin is Senior Security Editor at Ars Technica, where he oversees coverage of malware, computer espionage, botnets, hardware hacking, encryption, and passwords. In his spare time, he enjoys gardening, cooking, and following the independent music scene. Dan is based in San Francisco. Follow him at here on Mastodon and here on Bluesky. Contact him on Signal at DanArs.82. 18 Comments

Nintendo will reportedly not send out review units of Switch 2 hardware until the console's launch date, meaning buyers will need to cough up before they'll know if it's any goodTech14:55, 15 May 2025Updated 15:04, 15 May 2025You will need to act fast to get a Switch 2(Image: Nintendo)The Nintendo Switch 2 launches in just a few weeks, and brings with it Mario Kart World and a whole host of fantastic third-party ports and Switch 1 upgrades.We went hands on with the system last month and came away mightily impressed, and it's just as well we did—as a new report from The Game Business suggests that gamers won't be able to read or watch any hardware reviews until launch day at the earliest.‌That means fans will have to hope that their preorders haven't been in vain if it turns out there's some issues with the console (although we'd be very, very surprised).‌While it's never a given that media outlets (like yours truly) will receive hardware ahead of time, it does make it difficult to know just how much we'll be able to say about the Switch 2 to help our readership make an informed purchasing decision, especially to the tune of £400 in today's economy.Switch 2 is just weeks away(Image: AFP via Getty Images)In the latest issue of The Game Business newsletter, Christopher Dring said: "Some media have even been warned they will not have their machine until launch day. Nintendo has told journalists that this is due to the requirement of a significant day one patch."Article continues below“It’s really frustrating,” one editor is quoted as saying.“We will need to cover Switch 2 while also working across Summer Game Fest. How are we supposed to do that?”Indeed, Summer Game Fest, which has essentially replaced E3, will be held from June 6 to June 8, and will include heavy-hitters like Summer Game Fest Live, an Xbox Games Showcase, and the PC Gaming Show.‌"Anyone who can get hold of a console early from a dodgy retailer will have a head start in terms of coverage," another editor is quoted as saying. "I know the console will be sold out at launch, but what about all the other games?”On the subject of other games, it appears third-parties are concerned about the chance to get a look in from reviewers ahead of launch, too.Mario Kart World is Nintendo's big Switch 2 launch title(Image: Nintendo)‌As Dring explains: "One PR boss said they feel they have 'something special' for the launch of Switch 2 for those that 'want something else in addition to Mario Kart'."But the lack of independent critical validation is going to make it very hard for us. Maybe we would have been better off waiting a few weeks.”So, when can you expect the Daily Star review? We've got the console preordered, and postage permitting will be able to share our thoughts shortly after launch.‌We've also reached out for comment from Nintendo, and will update this story if we receive one.For what it's worth, we were mighty impressed by the Switch 2 when we went hands on, praising both its form-factor, unique controller options, and more.I said:‌"The Switch 2 is a more impressive upgrade than I (and perhaps others) had given credit for, and while I’m sure Nintendo has much more to show us in the months to come, I feel like the launch window line-up is strong enough to warrant a purchase already.""We’ll have a full review up on Daily Star when my pre-order arrives in a couple of months, but for now, I really wish I could’ve taken one home."For more on Nintendo Switch 2, be sure to check out our favourite Switch 1 games, as well as our most-wanted Switch 2 ports.Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.‌‌‌

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said he was hopeful that any long-term policy will address foods that the US doesn't produce, like bananas. Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images 2025-05-15T19:09:37Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Walmart says tariffs remain "too high," even after recent reductions. The company warned that it will have to raise some prices if import costs don't come down further. It's not yet clear how already-pressured shoppers will respond to price hikes. President Donald Trump's shifting trade policy is causing headaches for America's largest retailer.While Walmart CFO John David Rainey welcomed the recent reduction in tariffs, he said the company is not out of the woods yet."Let me emphasize, we still think that's too high," he said of the latest rates during Walmart's earnings call on Thursday. Walmart says it imports about one-third of what it sells in the US from other countries, namely China, Mexico, Canada, Vietnam, and India, and that cargos are currently flowing."There are certain items, certain categories of merchandise, that we're dependent upon to import from other countries, and prices of those things are likely going to go up, and that's not good for consumers," Rainey said.Rainey also said shoppers are showing signs of being more financially pressured, evidenced by their spending shifting away from general merchandise and more toward food and essentials.CEO Doug McMillon added that he doesn't expect shoppers will tolerate additional price hikes on their grocery bills, which would limit the retailer's ability to shift import costs to other goods in its assortment."The first thing that goes through my mind is food inflation," he said. "We've been through a number of years here where prices have gone up on food, and our customers have felt that, and they don't want any more food inflation."He also said he was hopeful that any long-term policy would address foods that the US doesn't produce in significant amounts, like bananas.An additional wrinkle for Walmart management is the question of what economists call "price elasticity," or the change in purchasing patterns in response to changes in cost.American consumers proved surprisingly resilient during recent years of high inflation, and kept on spending even though prices were climbing.But Rainey said tariffs make it "more challenging to anticipate demand by item," since it's not clear how shoppers will respond to new tariff-related price hikes and retailers are wary of getting stuck holding large amounts of expensive merchandise."We'll watch where our price gaps are," McMillon said, "but we'll also watch what customers are telling us and the response that we get from pressure that they're feeling."While that puzzle is a little more solvable with high-turnover items like food, it's considerably more difficult to predict for seasonal sales events like back-to-school or the holidays — and Walmart has to place those orders now.And thanks to a quirk of retail accounting, a significant fluctuation in shelf prices could have an outsized impact of the company's financial results in the coming quarters if it has to make large adjustments to its inventory valuation."How do you make a quantity call, and what tariff number do you use?" McMillon asked. Recommended video

Staying In Shadows Assassin's Creed Shadows' delay turned out well, so Ubisoft's bigwigs are pushing some of the biggest games it has in the works further down the road If it ain't broke, give it an extra year or so just to allow you to really make sure it ain't broke. Image credit: Ubisoft News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on May 15, 2025 Assassin's Creed Shadows was good. So, Ubisoft's decided to do the same thing with some of the "biggest productions" it currently has in the works, pushing several unnannounced games back in the hopes that more development time will yield more success. This was announced in the publisher's latest earnings release, in which it also reflets on what's been a pretty turbulent year for one of the world's premiere providers of massive games with maps chock full of s**t to do, and has seen it produce a weird subsidiary baby with Chinese giant Tencent. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. After bigging up Shadows' launch as a "defining moment" that re-affirmed the entire concept of people liking Assassin's Creed, the release revealed that the publisher's been reviewing the portfoloio of stuff it's currently working on. "After a thorough review of its pipeline that took place from October to December, the Group decided to provide additional development time to some of its biggest productions in order to create the best conditions for success," Ubisoft wrote. "This decision has already been beneficial to the quality of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. As a consequence, FY2026-27 and FY2027-28 will see significant growth vs. FY2025-26 on the back of strong content coming from the Group’s largest brands." Well, at least it's doing the same thing over and over again with the expectation of getting similar results, rather than different results - the latter being the thing Vaas warned us all about repeatedly during the course of Far Cry 3. Is this strategy the definition of sanity? We'll have to see. Meanwhile, Ubisoft declared that the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake - the game it teased last year by showing off a 30 second clip of a candle doing candle things - will come out during the current financial year that ends in March 2026. It had already been given a broad 2026 date in that candle teaser, so you can pencil it in for sometime in the first few months of next year. Anno 117: Pax Romana, Rainbow Six Mobile, and The Division Resurgence are all also set to come out in the upcoming biz year, along with some more games that remain unnannounced for now but with these delays, it's looking like there could be a bit of a fallow period after that. Do you think Ubi's on to a winner by applying its Shadows strategy to these other games? Let us know below!

TikTok may have run afoul of European regulators over advertising transparency, in the latest bout between EU regulators and big tech companies. The European Commission has formally warned TikTok that its advertising transparency tools don’t go far enough, falling short of EU rules requiring online platforms to maintain a publicly available repository of all paid ads being shown to users. Regulators are taking issue with the data, or lack thereof, being provided in the repository that TikTok has curated. They claim that TikTok has failed to provide information on who paid for ads, what audiences they are targeting and the precise product or service those ads are promoting. This information is all used by regulators and researchers to help weed out harmful content like scams, disinformation or coordinated influence campaigns. These rules fall under the Digital Services Act (DSA), an EU regulation adopted in 2022 that governs illegal content, transparent advertising and disinformation. Enforcement for Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) like TikTok began in the summer of 2023, and the Commission opened formal proceedings to assess whether TikTok had violated the DSA in February of 2024. In a statement, European Commission Tech VP Henna Virkkunen said, “Transparency in online advertising — who pays and how audiences are targeted — is essential to safeguarding the public interest.Whether we are defending the integrity of our democratic elections, protecting public health or protecting consumers from scam ads, citizens have a right to know who is behind the messages they see.” In a statement to the press, a TikTok spokesperson disagreed with the findings, saying "While we support the goals of the regulation and continue to improve our ad transparency tools, we disagree with some of the Commission's interpretations and note that guidance is being delivered via preliminary findings rather than clear, public guidelines." This isn't the first time that TikTok has found itself in hot water with internet safety regulators in Europe. Under the rules of the DSA, TikTok parent company ByteDance could be fined as much as 6 percent of its total worldwide revenue and be subjected to an enhanced supervision period where regulators ensure that any required changes are being made.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/eu-tech-chiefs-believe-tiktok-is-breaking-ad-transparency-rules-181706441.html?src=rss

Chips are a critical component of the AI industry. But new chips don’t hit the market with the same speed as new AI models and products do. Cognichip has a lofty goal of creating a foundational AI model that can help bring new chips to market faster. San Francisco-based Cognichip is working to build a physics-informed foundational AI model that can be used by semiconductor companies to speed up the development process of new chips. The company is calling this approach “artificial chip intelligence” and hopes it can help speed up chip production times by 50% and reduce the associated costs as well. This ambitious idea comes from semiconductor industry veteran Faraj Aalaei, who worked at various companies including Fujitsu Network Communications and Centillium Communications. Aalaei told TechCrunch that his company’s origin story begins back in 2015. At the time, Aalaei was a member of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, which would often meet to talk about what was ailing their industry. He was growing concerned about what was happening in the semiconductor industry. He gave a presentation to the group about the stark drop in venture capital investing into semiconductor companies, which peaked at 200 deals a year in 2000, he said, and dropped to just one or two a year by 2015. “I essentially warned the other CEOs that this cannot be good for us,” Aalaei said. “It cannot be good for the semiconductor industry in America, and that what we needed to do is to fundamentally change things about it. If that trend continues, then we’re going to lose our competitiveness. We’re going to lose the energy that brings in new ideas to the table.” Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 REGISTER NOW Considering how long it takes new chips to come to market, it’s not surprising these companies weren’t attracting venture investors, he said. Then he sat on the idea for almost a decade. He went on to found Candou Ventures in 2016, and through that fund got to watch the rise in AI startups. When he realized that advancements in generative AI had gotten to a point where it could be used to potentially help solve some of the semiconductor industry’s existent challenges, he decided to launch Cognichip in 2024. Cognichip has been operating in stealth ever since and has amassed a team of AI experts from places like Stanford, Google, and MIT to start building. Aalaei said it will take at least a few years to build the model to “ultimate performance” but said it should be able to help companies before it reaches that goal. “When we get to that point, this artificial chip intelligence, we will be building a system that can actually act like an expert engineer,” Aalaei said. “Once we achieve that vision, then you can actually get the same work done with a fraction of the people and in much, much shorter time.” Cognichip is now emerging from stealth with $33 million in seed funding in a round co-led by Lux Capital and Mayfield with participation from FPV and Candou Ventures. Navin Chaddha, a managing partner at Mayfield, told TechCrunch that when he was introduced to Aalaei, he felt they were “cut from the same cloth.” The vast majority of work in the semiconductor industry is still being done by humans; he said he thinks the timing is right to bring AI into the mix. “This is a major pain point, and the solution this company will provide will be a pain killer and not a vitamin for the semiconductor industry,” Chaddha said. “If you don’t have humans doing the job, can AI do it where there’s shortage of talent? Number one, great team, second, [they are] solving a real pain point in a massive, trillion-dollar industry.” Aalaei said that he hopes Cognichip will also be able to help democratize access to building chips so that more semiconductor companies can get started and land investment. Easier access also means that smaller companies can build more specific chips for specialized or smaller models, too, he said. All of this will depend on when, or if, the company can reach artificial chip intelligence. “What we’re doing is not some incremental change,” Aalaei said. “We’re not building an [electronic design automation] tool, we’re not trying to tweak the process a little bit. We’re trying to set a new goal for our industry and bring some major change.”

As Europe pushes for tech sovereignty, one open-source advocate has a warning: don’t forget global cooperation. Amanda Brock, CEO of industry group OpenUK, told TNW that the EU must “get real” about the trade-offs of going it alone. Brock said tech policymakers must move beyond “tit-for-tat schoolyard politics” and instead “protect global collaboration whilst ensuring the needs of their citizens are met.”   Her comments follow a speech by Eva Maydell in Brussels yesterday, where the Bulgarian lawmaker urged Europe to “sober up” in its quest for tech independence.   The 💜 of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!“We need to have a very clear outline plan which, first and foremost, assesses where our strengths are, where we have certain dependencies, and where we need to cooperate,” said Maydell. In a bid to reduce reliance on global tech giants, European institutions have been ramping up efforts to grow homegrown capabilities in areas such as AI, cloud computing, and semiconductors. These efforts have gained urgency amid rising tensions with the US and China.  However, Brock believes Europe must beware of the trade-offs of tech sovereignty. She points to open-source software, which is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and share — and inherently requires cross-border cooperation.  “Every time we hear talk of ‘sovereignty’ from the EU, in the next breath we hear ‘open-source’,” she said. “Yet these two concepts sit in direct conflict, as open-source has global collaboration at its heart.” Brock urged Europe to invest in tech infrastructure and talent to support the growth of technologies such as AI, while remaining open to the rest of the world. “No one said it would be easy,” she added. Andreas Riegler, general partner at APEX Ventures, agrees that Europe must continue to embrace global collaboration.  He warned against competing head-on with the US and China in technologies like cloud infrastructure or foundational AI models.  “Europe must resist isolationist instincts and instead integrate into global tech ecosystems where appropriate,” he said. “Not doing so risks duplication of effort, talent drain, and diminished geopolitical influence in setting global standards.” Europe’s tech sovereignty will be a hot topic at TNW Conference, which takes place on June 19-20 in Amsterdam. Tickets for the event are now on sale — use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the checkout to get 30% off. Story by Siôn Geschwindt Siôn is a freelance science and technology reporter, specialising in climate and energy. From nuclear fusion breakthroughs to electric vehic (show all) Siôn is a freelance science and technology reporter, specialising in climate and energy. From nuclear fusion breakthroughs to electric vehicles, he's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. He has five years of journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. When he's not writing, you can probably find Siôn out hiking, surfing, playing the drums or catering to his moderate caffeine addiction. You can contact him at: sion.geschwindt [at] protonmail [dot] com Get the TNW newsletter Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week. Also tagged with

Source: Bureau de Change Architects / HGGThe proposed scheme A proposal by Bureau de Change Architects to redevelop a single-family home in Dartmouth Park, Camden, into a five-storey block of flats has drawn national attention, including opposition from Dame Justine Thornton, a barrister and judge, who is also wife of energy secretary Ed Miliband. The project, submitted for developer HGG London, would see the demolition of a 1930s detached house on Dartmouth Park Road, located in the Highgate ward of the London borough, and its replacement with six apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms. The proposal seeks to increase the site’s density while referencing local Victorian architecture in its massing and façade design. In its design and access statement, Bureau de Change describes the proposal as a “sensitive and site-driven design” that aims to deliver “much needed new housing for the area”. The site sits within the Dartmouth Park Conservation Area. Thornton wrote that the proposed block was “too tall, too bulky and too dense for its plot given the context of the surrounding houses and the wider conservation area”. While expressing support for additional housing in principle, she cited the nearby Highgate Newtown residential development as “a brilliant example of thoughtful design in harmony with neighbouring properties” and suggested that the application represented “another opportunity for the Council to demonstrate its commitment to the provision of sympathetically designed housing by acknowledging the benefit of redevelopment whilst rejecting this particular design”. The project has highlighted the ongoing tension between national planning policy objectives and local resistance to change. The Labour government has made housing delivery a key part of its growth agenda, pledging to prioritise brownfield development and to take a more assertive stance against anti-development sentiment. Architects Joanna van Heyningen and Birkin Haward, founding partners of van Heyningen and Haward Architects, also submitted a formal objection to the scheme. In their response, they stated that the proposal was “too tall for its context, too deep, too close to the houses to its south and east, provides poor living standards for its intended inhabitants, and ignores the requirement for bio-diversity net gain”. Referring to the design, they described the illustrated façade as “a naïve architectural response that attempts to be contextual by aping some of the proportions of neighbouring buildings, whilst completely failing to respect them”. The proposed schemeSource: Bureau de Change Architects / HGG The proposed schemeSource: Bureau de Change Architects / HGG Proposed ground floor planSource: Bureau de Change Architects / HGG 1/3 show caption Actor Benedict Cumberbatch and his wife, theatre director and playwright Sophie Hunter, who also live nearby, submitted their own objection. They argued that the scheme would be “out of keeping with the architectural style of the area” and warned it would “disrupt the aesthetic of the street” and be “directly in opposition to the nature of a conservation area”. They also expressed concerns about the impact on privacy and daylight, writing that the proposed building “will dwarf houses on both roads” and “look directly onto adjacent properties and gardens”. The objection concluded by cautioning that approval could “set a precedent for the area”, asking: “Could I now demolish my property and replace it with flats and not require the same extensive planning approval?” Camden Council is yet to decide on the application. Bureau de Change Architects and HGG London have been contacted for comment.

As part of proposals outlined by Keir Starmer on Monday (12 May), tougher entry requirements for students and workers would be introduced to reduce immigration. The immigration bill would raise entry requirements to degree level for workers entering the UK, introduce tougher English language requirements, and extend the period for claiming settled status from five to ten years. Universities will, meanwhile, have to score five percentage points more (rising from 90 to 95 per cent) on the Basic Compliance Assessment, which the home office uses to assess compliance with the immigration system. This could reduce the number of places on offer to overseas students.Advertisement Responding to the proposals, RIBA president Muyiwa Oki said immigration into the UK was crucial for filling the current skills gap in the housing sector given the government’s target to build 1.5 million homes in this parliament. He said: ‘The government’s decision to reduce the number of international workers and students comes at a time when they have ambitious plans to drive growth, including delivering 1.5 million new homes. ‘Architects are vital to achieving this, but the sector has a significant skills shortage. We need an immigration system that helps plug these gaps.’ The government’s reforms would abolish the immigration salary list, which put the minimum salary for a foreign worker visa at 80 per cent of the going rate for that profession. Architects were, controversially, among the sectors removed from the list designed to combat occupational shortages through worker visas. Until last year, the list had allowed firms to hire foreign workers in particular sectors on salaries 20 per cent less than the going rate. Oki added that, following the government’s drive to reduce immigration, more investment was needed in apprenticeships and non-traditional routes into the profession.Advertisement The RIBA has previously called on the government not to implement changes that could see practices pay more towards training Level 7 apprenticeships – the equivalent to a master’s degree. Oki commented: ‘We welcome the desire to nurture homegrown talent, and we continue to champion new and accessible routes into the profession, such as apprenticeships. But the potential of defunding Level 7 apprenticeships puts this at risk. We continue to work with the government to ensure a pipeline of talent in the architecture sector and drive growth across the country.’ The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) echoed the RIBA’s calls for investment in apprenticeships. CIAT president Eddie Weir said: ‘The UK’s built environment sector faces significant pressures at all levels. If we are to deliver the 1.5 million new homes that our communities need and ensure that our existing homes and buildings are healthy, sustainable and fit for the future, these pressures must be relieved.’ Weir warned the government not to limit skilled professionals where there are gaps in the market and added: ‘Government must also move ahead with reforming the apprenticeships system … At the same time, the industry still needs a steady supply of highly skilled professionals, particularly in building design and project management.’ Meanwhile, Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) chief economist David Crosthwaite compared the construction and health industries. He said both needed migrant workers when domestic supply fell short. ‘If the government is serious about delivering 1.5 million homes and boosting national infrastructure delivery, they must seek both short-term and long-term solutions,' he said. ‘In the meantime, it is critical that we can access migrant workers where there’s a clear economic need, or else risk stalling growth and delivery even further.’ The BCIS chief also called for a transitional arrangement before the introduction of the new immigration rules, and warned: ‘Tightening migration rules could increase costs, delay projects, and make it even harder to meet ambitious targets. Workforce decisions need to be grounded in long-term strategy, not short-term political pressure.’ Comment Paul Chappell, director, 9B Careers A government crackdown on immigration could seriously disrupt the architecture profession, affecting talent pipelines, creativity, and salary dynamics. The sector relies heavily on a diverse international workforce that brings essential skills in areas such as sustainable design, digital technologies and cultural placemaking. Tighter immigration controls risk shrinking the talent pool, making it harder for practices to fill key roles, and undermining the UK’s position as a global design hub, just as the industry appears to be recovering from a prolonged downturn. We've just experienced one of our busiest quarters in a decade, and many practices are urgently trying to recruit large teams without the time or capacity to sponsor visas. In this climate, reduced access to international talent is already driving up salaries, particularly for specialist and mid-level roles where skills shortages are acute. The days of receiving 500 applications for a single job are gone. Most of our time is now spent headhunting, which inevitably requires higher salary offers to entice candidates from secure positions. But this wage inflation is not sustainable, especially for smaller firms operating within tight fee constraints. Over time, we may see widening regional disparities, increased outsourcing and fewer opportunities for Part 1 graduates, who are already struggling to find meaningful year-out placements. Studios, sadly, often no longer have the time or money to support the next generation coming through. Restricting international students and early-career professionals also threatens the long-term health of the profession. Architecture thrives on openness, diversity, and the free exchange of ideas. Without that, we risk weakening both the profession and the quality of the built environment it shapes. Charlie Edmonds, Future Architects Front (FAF) Starmer's logic that we can replace international workers with greater investment in training for British nationals is, at best, naive and, at worst, intentionally furthering the managed decline of the social and physical infrastructure of the UK. The decision to massively restrict worker visas undermines Labour's promises to support the NHS and to bolter UK construction. Simultaneously, pay in these roles is notoriously low, public investment into these sectors is insufficient, and Labour seems to have to immediate intention of changing this. So the only result will be the increase of vacancies in vital sectors from care to construction. If Starmer was serious about the wellbeing of people living in the UK, regardless of nationality, the Labour party would be supporting dignified routes for immigration while simultaneously investing in UK skills and sectors — setting these outcomes in opposition to one another is not only a false dichotomy but lays the groundwork for continued destitution in the UK.