--R Being sued right now, please help me find a lawyer Member Oct 25, 2017 15,503 Electronic Arts has announced to employees that it will be ending its remote working policies permanently, and implementing a full return to office. In an email sent to employees today viewed by IGN, CEO Andrew Wilson said that in-person work results in "a kinetic energy that fuels creativity, innovation, and connection, often resulting in unexpected breakthroughs that lead to incredible experiences for our players." He then went on to broadly outline that "hybrid work" would now be defined as a "minimum of three days a week in your local office," and that "offsite local roles" would be gradually phased out. Click to expand... Click to shrink... In a follow-up email from EA Entertainment president, Laura Miele, also viewed by IGN, she clarified further details, describing the company as moving from "a decentralized approach to a globally consistent, enterprise-wide work model": Click to expand... Click to shrink... These changes will not take effect immediately. Employees should continue working as directed by your Business Unit until further notice, regardless of where you live. Work model transitions will come with a minimum 12-week notice period before any changes are implemented. The timing will vary by location and will be communicated locally with plenty of notice. Hybrid work will mean working from your local office at least three days per week–this aligns with what's outlined in Andrew's EA Action. We are introducing a new 30-mile/48-km radius around EA locations. What this means: Employees who live within 30-miles/48-km of an EA location will transition to a Hybrid work model. Employees who live outside the 30-mile/48-km radius will be considered remote unless their role is designated as On Site or Hybrid. We will also sunset the Offsite Local work model. Depending on your location, this transition may take 3 to 24 months. Any work model exception and future Remote hires will require a CEO Direct's /my approval. Several sources within EA speaking to IGN anonymously said that employees were upset and confused, with some employees sharing hours-long commutes they were now being expected to make, or expressing concerns regarding childcare or personal medical conditions that had benefited from remote work. Others, classified as remote and outside the 30-mile range, expressed concern for what would happen to their roles if they were unwilling or unable to move closer to an office long-term. Two sources explained to IGN that per the breakdown sent by Miele, existing remote workers would have their "exemptions" to return to office "sunset" sometime in the next 3 to 24 months. Click to expand... Click to shrink... EA Pushes Full Return to Office, Effectively Ends Remote Hiring - IGN Electronic Arts has announced to employees that it will be ending its remote working policies permanently, and implementing a full return to office. www.ign.com   Lirael Member Oct 27, 2017 16,623 So, mass layoffs incoming then.   ASleepingMonkey The Fallen Oct 26, 2017 4,575 Iowa 3 - 24 months is such an absurd window for that one point lol   Star-Lord Member Oct 25, 2017 7,941 That fucking sucks, I don't understand how a job can be done for this many years remote / hybrid and they now decide nah   ket Member Jul 27, 2018 15,035 worthless fucking management   Capricorn "This guy are sick" Avenger Oct 25, 2017 902 Fuck EA and any other company that pulls this kind of shit.   Last edited: Today at 6:41 PM MANTRA Member Feb 21, 2024 1,093 More layoffs without doing the laying off.   TeenageFBI One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 11,313 "Sunset" is just the worst verb.   Skel1ingt0n Member Oct 28, 2017 11,466 Lirael said: So, mass layoffs incoming then. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yep, this is what you should take from this. Our company went from (for some roles) - "you can work wherever and we're definitely keeping that way" to "if you live within 45 miles and 60 min of the office, you need to come in 3-4 days a week" all in a matter of two months. Of course some people say "eff that," which is what they want. It's a silent layoff.  super-famicom Avenger Oct 26, 2017 30,398 Boooo   Azzie Member Dec 1, 2024 673 Andrew Wilson said that in-person work results in "a kinetic energy that fuels creativity, innovation, and connection, often resulting in unexpected breakthroughs that lead to incredible experiences for our players." Click to expand... Click to shrink... Says the man who only has 1 answer to everything "live service microtransactions".  Skel1ingt0n Member Oct 28, 2017 11,466 ASleepingMonkey said: 3 - 24 months is such an absurd window for that one point lol Click to expand... Click to shrink... Lines up nicely for when we'll get our next tidbit of Mass Effect information.  NinjaScooter Member Oct 25, 2017 60,606 Star-Lord said: That fucking sucks, I don't understand how a job can be done for this many years remote / hybrid and they now decide nah Click to expand... Click to shrink... middle and upper management have to look like they are doing something.  loco Member Jan 6, 2021 8,548 Wow I know people at EA that work from states that have no official offices. That really sucks   Khanimus Avenger Oct 25, 2017 46,384 Greater Vancouver 🖕   Kill3r7 Member Oct 25, 2017 28,969 Skel1ingt0n said: Yep, this is what you should take from this. Our company went from (for some roles) - "you can work wherever and we're definitely keeping that way" to "if you live within 45 miles and 60 min of the office, you need to come in 3-4 days a week" all in a matter of two months. Of course some people say "eff that," which is what they want. It's a silent layoff. Click to expand... Click to shrink... The economy isn't exactly booming right now but your analysis is spot on.  WildArms Member Apr 30, 2022 2,810 This seems to be a nation wide thing. I'm Canadian and just my other week my current employer pushed an email out stating the same thing. Then, just the other day, my wife's company did the same thing. Man... Glad my new company I'll be working for is fully remote. I absolutely hate commuting... I already work 12 hour days on top of commuting 2 hours. At least it's only 3 days a week and my last day is the Friday after this Friday.  Cess007 Member Oct 27, 2017 15,444 B.C., Mexico CEO Andrew Wilson said that in-person work results in "a kinetic energy that fuels creativity, innovation, and connection, often resulting in unexpected breakthroughs that lead to incredible experiences for our players." Click to expand... Click to shrink... "I cannot wait to see all this incredible creative pitches and be the first one to ask them "how do you plan to include microtransactions in this?"   HardRojo One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 28,813 Peru NinjaScooter said: middle and upper management have to look like they are doing something. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yeah, I only go to the office once a week (didn't actually go this week) and it's only upper management that seems to be going a few days a week. They got time to plan all the boring shit like presentations with dances, sketches and all that crap.   lone_stranger Member Aug 24, 2018 469 I don't view hybrid the same as a "full return to office", but it does suck that people who were exclusively remote won't have the option anymore. I wish I knew how common full-time remote work was for the big publishers. For some reason I thought hybrid was the typical approach already.   Tommy Showbiz Member Jul 20, 2022 3,647 I think it was Jason Schreier who said that Respawn being able to fully coalesce around remote work was a huge part of why that studio had been so successful in recent years. So uh, great job with that EA.   ket Member Jul 27, 2018 15,035 management loves the idea of keeping an eye on their employees even if that's pointless. they love having control.   Twister Member Feb 11, 2019 6,622 Return to office is bullshit. EA employees, resist and do not comply. Any job that can be done at home should be allowed to be done at home, full stop, period. This is a control tactic. Don't let these greedy pieces of shit take away your freedom and happiness. Stop clogging the roads and leave that space for emergency vehicles and people with jobs who cannot be remote. Stop contributing to carbon emissions with thousands of extra cars on the road. Stop building giant office parks that could be used for green spaces or more housing. Resist this bullshit. Make the CEOs sorry they ever even tried.  vixolus Prophet of Truth Member Sep 22, 2020 70,551 Companies doing their best to try and put the toothpaste back in the tube   Freezasaurus Member Oct 25, 2017 58,746 What is it with oldheads and these office mandates? It's not the 1950s anymore, bozos.   Juryvicious Member Oct 28, 2017 8,129 Lirael said: So, mass layoffs incoming then. Click to expand... Click to shrink... The cynic in me agrees, unfortunately, as this was my first thought as well. Most of the employee pro-progress in recent years has evaporated. And EA are not alone, far from it.  JRedCX Member Nov 10, 2020 1,242 Soft layoff...   FrostweaveBandage Unshakable Resolve Member Sep 27, 2019 9,813 Star-Lord said: That fucking sucks, I don't understand how a job can be done for this many years remote / hybrid and they now decide nah Click to expand... Click to shrink... The thing that never made sense to me is how these multinational companies ever operated if they believe everyone being in the same place was critical to business success.   Mauricio_Magus Member Oct 25, 2017 15,772 So they want people to quit, got it.   ghibli99 Member Oct 27, 2017 20,468 What is "offsite local"? Is that the "within 30 miles" group so they can force the hybrid model on them?   TrojanAg Unshakable Resolve Member Oct 25, 2017 4,498 Management loves to act like working on-site will create such an efficient workplace but it's definitely the opposite. Traveling to and from work alone is just a massive waste of time, and you would think that they would've learned their lesson by now. I guess they just have to justify their existence and micromanage/pester you in person.   medinaria Member Oct 30, 2017 2,912 why do people come up with useless bespoke terminology for shit like what is "offsite local", is this the same as remote, or does this mean like "person who works remote but within commute range of an office" if they're aiming to distinguish between "people who we think could work in-person and therefore will be" and "people who can't and therefore don't have to" that's at least not the dumbest thing I've ever seen? it's still pretty dumb but like, "all remote people worldwide must report to their nearest branch" is a bit absurd when you don't have any US offices east of texas lol  nsilvias Member Oct 25, 2017 29,956 its funny how these companies could save a ton of money by cutting out middle management and a building and all the bills that come with it but they wont do it.   Vourlis Member Aug 14, 2022 5,814 United States What's the fucking difference if you have 38 office locations worldwide... God forbid people like to work and be equally productive beyond a cubicle. Just give people the option...  Last edited: Today at 6:57 PM Tunesmith Fraud & Player Security Verified Oct 25, 2017 2,195 ASleepingMonkey said: 3 - 24 months is such an absurd window for that one point lol Click to expand... Click to shrink... some locations can accomodate influx of onsite staff sooner than others.   Twister Member Feb 11, 2019 6,622 nsilvias said: its funny how these companies could save a ton of money by cutting out middle management and a building and all the bills that come with it but they wont do it. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Eventually they'll have to. This is the old heads clinging to their last grasp of power before offices become a thing of the past. Remote work will be the norm for office jobs within the next 10-15 years   DontHateTheBacon Unshakable Resolve Member Oct 27, 2017 14,411 Soft layoffs huh   skyappl Member Oct 25, 2017 337 As others have noted, this is a layoff without triggering related laws or having to pay unemployment insurance.   Aztechnology Community Resettler Avenger Oct 25, 2017 15,382 nsilvias said: its funny how these companies could save a ton of money by cutting out middle management and a building and all the bills that come with it but they wont do it. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Actually they're doing this specifically as a tactic for wage suppression and stuff like that. When you make jobs scarce (layoffs are coming) they get to put downwards pressure on wages etc. All the shit right now including AI is just that. You can't have labor feeling like they have any power  Supreme Leader Galahad ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 27, 2017 2,847 Brazil Wraps for EA if Battlefield fails to deliver.   Duffking Member Oct 27, 2017 6,686 EA announce their intention to be a less enticing workplace than their competitors.   Qikz Member Oct 25, 2017 13,739 NinjaScooter said: middle and upper management have to look like they are doing something. Click to expand... Click to shrink... It's also hilarious because until now upper management were working from home all the time and will continue to once they've forced everyone back in the office. They don't want us to have that benefit (us in the general sense) - its 100% fuck you got mine. If someone has proven they can work from home perfectly well then if you force them back into an office you're an asshole imo. If someones doing a bad job working remotely fine, force them back into the office and test them but punishing everyone is shitty.  klauskpm ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 26, 2017 3,836 Brazil This to me is 2 things. As others said, it is to have people do the layoff themselves. And second, it is because it is becoming more and more common, so people have less options to go to. It sucks. And it sucks even more because it is not even about performance or quality. It is about control. If it was about performance and quality, it would be optional. So people who knows they perform better, or prefer to, could go on-site. If only the people who ask others to be professionals would also treat others as adults and professionals.  Ambient Member Dec 23, 2017 9,258 Brace for layoffs   Ensorcell Member Oct 27, 2017 7,405 They almost always pull these back when they see the results and/or they are done with workforce reduction no matter the industry. They won't be honest because they don't want to pay severance. All it does it crater employee engagement and they know it. Slimeballs.   BertChintus Member Dec 18, 2024 261 klauskpm said: This to me is 2 things. As others said, it is to have people do the layoff themselves. And second, it is because it is becoming more and more common, so people have less options to go to. It sucks. And it sucks even more because it is not even about performance or quality. It is about control. If it was about performance and quality, it would be optional. So people who knows they perform better, or prefer to, could go on-site. If only the people who ask others to be professionals would also treat others as adults and professionals. Click to expand... Click to shrink... On some level, it is kinda about performance. Haven't their games been underperforming lately?  Mesoian ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 28, 2017 31,655 Lirael said: So, mass layoffs incoming then. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yup. The bigger joke is that in 12 months they'll open up remote work again because no one wants to move to Redwood City.  BassForever One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 31,607 CT Ensorcell said: They almost always pull these back when they see the results and/or they are done with workforce reduction no matter the industry. They won't be honest because they don't want to pay severance. All it does it crater employee engagement and they know it. Slimeballs. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yep, cause ultimately if a high performing employee is too far away and/or doesn't want to fully commit to working in office, management will look the other way. Mesoian said: Yup. The bigger joke is that in 12 months they'll open up remote work again because no one wants to move to Redwood City. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Or look to outsource work to other countries. Nothing says "in office creativity" like being on a teams call with another team half way around the world.   HockeyBird Member Oct 27, 2017 13,757 Knowing employees are being forced back into the office definitely gives me the urge to spend money in Apex Legends.   TheForsaken Member Jul 24, 2024 420 Very similar to what my tech company did just recently as well.  

Macworld It’s often said that Apple doesn’t do things first; it does them right. But not everything can be done right. And my fear is that the faults of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, which launched this week a good four months before the iPhone 17 Air, are innate to this type of device rather than something that can be fixed. There are obviously positive points to this form factor, which is why Samsung and Apple are both going down the sub-6mm road. As well as being just 5.8mm thick, the S25 Edge weighs 163g, which is amazingly light for a phone with a 6.7-inch display and actually lighter than each of Apple’s current 6.1-inch handsets. I haven’t held one, but by all accounts, the Edge’s lack of heft is strikingly noticeable in the hand, and I can see why that appeals… it just doesn’t appeal to me. If you offered to make my 3.5-pound MacBook Pro lighter, I’d jump at the chance. Less weight in the rucksack when I take it to the office would be a welcome upgrade. Same for my iPad Air (460g) and AirPods Max (386g, plus another 135g for the stupid case). But weight simply isn’t a pain point for my iPhone 16 Plus (6.7 inches, 199g). And I’d go further and say that I would actively dislike it being made any lighter. Ever notice that a tennis ball is more difficult to catch than something harder and heavier, like a baseball or cricket ball? It’s because weight makes an object sink into your hand and stay there, while lighter objects need to be actively gripped. A 199g phone, plus case, sits nicely in my hand. A phone that’s 163g (which likely isn’t cased because you want to show off the groundbreaking slimline design) is far more likely to be dropped, especially if it’s almost entirely made of smooth glass. And then, enhanced crack protection or no enhanced crack protection, you’re risking disaster. What does this dubious gift of lightness cost us? Plenty. The S25 Edge comes with three main compromises: lower battery capacity (1000mAh less than the S25+ with significantly slower charging), a weaker camera system (no telephoto lens, hence worse zoom), and a higher price. Phone cameras have debatably reached a stage of evolution where any one of them is as good as almost anyone needs, but price and battery life are, unlike weight, active pain points. I find it baffling that someone would willingly pay more for a phone that lasts less time purely for the sake of making it thinner. It’s not like this is a particularly attractive design, either. It’s just the same old glowing rectangle, camera lenses arrayed vertically on the back in the usual Galaxy style, pinhole camera cutout on the front. And because of the design obstacle that is the USB-C port (if only there was some way to get rid of that…), the bottom edge looks wonky, with the port sitting closer to the rear of the chassis than the front. It’s just not a design that has anything to recommend it other than being thin. Anyron Copeman / Foundry All of these compromises—and more—are expected to afflict the iPhone 17 Air. Apple’s ultra-thin handset will reportedly have just one rear camera, a higher price than the iPhone 16 Plus, and battery life so bad that it will sell an accessory just so users can get through the day. Granted, people who have held dummies have come away very impressed with the design, but remember, these aren’t working models. First impressions are one thing; actually using it after the wow factor wears off is another. A common argument in favor of major change is to say that you’ll feel differently once you’ve had a chance to get used to it. And until now Apple watchers have been holding out hope that the iPhone 17 Air would pull off a similar trick, that while it seems impractical in theory, we’ll fall in love with the object once it’s in our hands, once we’ve spent some time with it and grown accustomed to its benefits. That’s why rival products are so important for our understanding of the 17 Air. They give reviewers a chance to actually experience the reality of a sub-6mm smartphone. The launch of the S25 Edge, then, has been an interesting exercise for Apple fans. But if this is what’s in store for the iPhone 17 Air in the fall, I feel less optimistic than ever. Not for me, thanks.

To start off today’s best Apple deals we are once again checking back in with the M4 MacBook Air lineup as the 24GB 13-inch model hits a new Amazon low again from $1,426 ($173 off). Alongside some ongoing Apple accessory deals – USB-C cables from $7.50 and the 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter, we also have a deal on AirPods Pro 2 with 2 years of AppleCare+ as well as Yale’s Assure 2 Apple Home Key smart lock at up to $145 off and more. Everything awaits below.  Apple’s 15-inch 24GB M4 MacBook Air just dropped again to a new $1,426 Amazon low ($173 off), more from $849 While we are still tracking a particularly notable discount on the upgraded 13-inch model, Amazon has now dropped the price even lower on its 24GB 15-inch M4 MacBook Air. Most models and colors across the M4 MacBook Air lineup are still sitting at $150 off on Amazon, but it has now dropped the 24GB/512GB 15-inch model in the Midnight colorway down to $1,425.99 shipped to deliver a new all-time low. Regularly $1,599, this configuration is now $173 off the going rate to undercut our previous all-time low mention from earlier this week and deliver the best price we have tracked on any color at Amazon (or anywhere else online). As of right now, the silver model has jumped back up close to full price, the Sky Blue is at $150 off, and the Starlight variant is going for $1,427.11, or $172 off the list price. Again, folks who would prefer the more compact 13-inch form-factor can also take advantage of even lower pricing on the upgraded 24GB model with the 512GB SSD right now – it is currently sitting at $1,245.26, or roughly $200 under the price of the 15-inch model. But for those of you specifically looking for the extra screen real estate and an injection of RAM power, today’s deal is certainly worth consideration at the lowest Amazon price to date. 13-inch M4 MacBook Air 16GB/256GB from $849 (Reg. $999) 13-inch M4 MacBook Air 16GB/512GB from $1,049 (Reg. $1,199) 13-inch M4 MacBook Air 24GB/512GB from $1,245 (Reg. $1,399) 15-inch M4 MacBook Air 16GB/256GB from $1,049 (Reg. $1,199) 15-inch M4 MacBook Air 16GB/512GB from $1,249 (Reg. $1,399) 15-inch M4 MacBook Air 24GB/512GB from $1,426 (Reg. $1,599) Amazon now offering 34% off Apple’s official 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter at $39 (Reg. $59) Official Apple Woven USB-C cables up to 62% off today: One for $10 or three at $7.30 each AirPods Pro 2 with 2-years of AppleCare+ back at $180 (Nearly $100 off, Costco members only) Update 5/14: This deal is now live again for members. Details below in the original post. There is a deal right now Costco members will want to be aware of – you can score the same AirPods Pro 2 but with 2-years of AppleCare+ included with your purchase at $179.99 shipped. That’s $10 more, but actually a lower overall price depending on how much you value the extra Apple warranty protection. Details below. Okay so let’s break this down. Going with the lower-priced Amazon deal saves you $79 on the regular $249 list price of the AirPods Pro 2 with a standard Apple warranty. Costco members, can however opt to pay out $180 now and score the same $249 buds with 2-years of AppleCare+ – purchasing the discounted buds with the same AppleCare+ at Amazon will cost you $198.99 shipped right now. Both are clearly solid deals, but if you are a Costco member and value the bonus warranty protection of Apple’s official care program, it might be smarter choice to take that path. Either way, you’re looking at the latest pro-grade Apple AirPods 2, complete with the USB-C MagSafe charging case and all of the new features Apple has introduced to the package over the last year or so. Some of which include the new hands-/voice-free nod gestures (“simply nod your head yes or shake your head no when Siri asks if you’d like to hear a message, answer a call, or manage a notification”) as well as the Hearing Protection, Hearing Test action, Hearing Aid support, and Media Assist that landed last September (details on those await right here). Prefer you some AirPods 4 at a lower price instead? Amazon brought back all-time low pricing on the base model and a solid deal on the ANC this week starting from $100. Now even lower: Apple Find My-equipped mini FlashFinder keychain flashlight now $23 Prime shipped Yale’s Assure 2 Apple Home Key smart lock is up to $145 off today at Amazon If you’re looking for a full replacement smart lock for your front door, complete with Apple Home Key support, the Yale Assure Lock 2 is seeing some notable deals today. Regularly up to $320 at Best Buy, you’ll now find this model starting down at $204.99 shipped. Details below. The more universal Satin Nickel and Black Sided colorways are now down at $249.99 while the dark Oil Rubber Bronze is now selling for $204.99 shipped. These deals are also matched at Best Buy for today only. This is up to $145 off the going rate at Best Buy, although hey have been selling for closer to $290 or so at Amazon as of late. These, by the way, are the Wi-Fi supported models that also include a keypad unit alongside the Apple Home Key tech – just wave your Apple Watch or iPhone to open the lock – as well as HomeKit support: Control your smart lock using voice commands with Siri, home automations, and more, when paired with Apple HomeKit. Controlling this HomeKit-enabled accessory automatically and away from home requires a HomePod, HomePod mini, or Apple TV set up as a home hub. Via the Yale Access app, you can remotely “let people in, lock up, share entry codes, track who comes and goes, and receive notifications,” while leveraging the peace of mind of Power Reserve – “you can still use [Apple] home keys on your iPhone for hours after it needs to be charged.” Amazon has 8 colors of Beats Studio Pro ANC headphones down at $170 (Reg. up to $350) Today’s accessories and charging deals: Alongside the ongoing $100 price drops across the latest M3 iPad Air lineup, Amazon has now brought back its all-time low pricing on the most affordable, latest-generation iPad mini (A17 Pro). Regularly $499, you can now land all four colors down at $399 shipped on Amazon to match our previous mention and the lowest we have tracked to date. Not only are we also seeing the Wi-Fi + Cell models of the entry-level 128GB model at $100 off, dropping from the regular $649 down to $549 shipped, but the $100 discounts are also hitting the rest of the lineup, including the 256GB and 512GB variants. iPad mini A17 Pro 128GB $399 (Reg. $499) iPad mini A17 Pro 256GB $499 (Reg. $599) iPad mini A17 Pro 256GB $699 (Reg. $799) While Apple has unleashed its new 11-inch entry-level iPad since the latest mini arrived back in October, the mini is the most affordable model in the current-generation lineup that can support Apple Intelligence. The new 11-inch comes packed with the A16 chip and, while a wonderful casual machine considering you can score one at the $299 all-time low right now, the latest mini is a more powerful Apple tablet and comes in with that ultra-manageable 8.3-inch Liquid Retina Display you won’t find elsewhere in the lineup. Not to mention the 30% jump in CPU power, 25% better graphics performance, and upgraded storage capacity tiers. Just for comparison’s sake, here’s how the all-time low pricing shakes out on the new 11-inch iPad right now: 128GB iPad (A16) from $299 (Reg. $349) 256GB iPad (A16) from $399 (Reg. $449) 512GB iPad (A16) from $599 (Reg. $649) New 512GB Apple iPad (A16) just hit new Amazon all-time low at $100 off, but you can score an M3 iPad Air for less Huge deals return on official Apple Solo Loops: Score 3 for just $20 (Orig. $147), more Brand new Powerbeats Pro 2 hit Amazon all-time low at $200 today (All colors $50 off), open-box units at $159 Update: The price on the “excellent” open-box condition units at Best buy have dropped back down to $158.99 shipped, or $91 off the list price. We are finally getting the very first chance to save on the new Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds in brand-new condition. We featured a few chances to score an open-box set for less on the black set, but Amazon is now offering all four colors down at $199.95 shipped. Regularly $250, this is a straight up $50 off the going rate and the first deal on Amazon. Today’s Amazon all-time low pricing marks the first time we have seem the lauded new Powerbeats Pro 2 drop in price outside of the open-box offers at Best Buy. You’ll find this same deal also available at Best Buy in brand-new condition while pricing on the open-box listings have now dropped even lower as well, but only on the black colorway – they are now down at $148.99 $169.99 shipped. That’s $79 off and the best we have seen in “excellent” open-box condition at Best Buy with a 1-year warranty attached. Here the details on Best Buy’s open-box “excellent condition” units: This is an Open Box product, which means it’s been opened and returned by another customer. Each open box item is unique, and we offer different discounts based on the product’s condition. To see a product’s condition before purchasing, visit us in store. Works and looks like new. Includes all original parts, packaging and accessories (or suitable replacement). We came away quite impressed, much like the rest of the internet, on the new Powerbeats Pro 2 after getting a chance to give them a run for their money at review. Alongside the onboard heart rate tracking and Apple Find My, they feature active noise cancellation and a Transparency mode powered by Apple’s H2 chip as well as up to 45 hours of battery life, one-touch pairing, automatic switching, Audio Sharing, and hands-free Siri action. Take a deeper dive in our hands-in review right here. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. 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As id Software sits on the verge of releasing DOOM: The Dark Ages to the general public, one of the artists working at the studio has published a host of screenshots on his own website that might give us a hint to what the original concept for DOOM 4: Hell on Earth would have looked like. Along with those, the artist – Thao Le – has also uploaded screenshots that might indicate an early attempt at reimagining the original Quake using modern technology. According to Le’s website, the screenshots feature scenes and models that that were used directly in id Software’s in-house idTech 5 engine, and also doesn’t include finishing touches that you would typically see in a game, like radiosity rendering. According to Le, several of the scenes depicted in the screenshots were created by making use of a combination of existing assets from DOOM as well as original assets. The overall theme for these, as described by Le, is a re-imagined environment from Quake with modern touches. “It has two parts,” explains Le on the website. “The first one is stone and old machinery ‘melted’ into each other in the weird way that is not familiar with human logic. Gears, chains are moving to create dynamic [environment] and can be used as game play. The second part [environment] has just stones with very mystery structures in which stones are dynamically float or animated that causes the environments keeps changing during the combat.” When it comes to DOOM 4: Hell on Earth, Le has described the overarching themes of his work on the game’s environments as having to created a city with the key words being “abandoned” and “destruction”. The environments in these screenshots, which you can check out here, were created using idTech 4 that once again doesn’t feature finishing touches like PBR or Substance rendering. According to the resume on his website, Le has been working in the gaming industry since 2001, when he joined Lucas Arts and worked on titles like Gladius and Star Fighter 2. In 2004, Le moved to EA Los Angeles, where he worked on titles like Medal of Honor, a cancelled project dubbed Tiberium, a Lord of the Rings game, and Golden Eye. Since 2008, however, Le has been working with id Software. After having worked as an artist on the cancelled DOOM 4: Hell on Earth, he also worked on other shooters by the studio, including both Rage titles, DOOM (2016), and most recently, Quake Champions. Interestingly, Le hasn’t listed more recent games like DOOM Eternal or the upcoming DOOM: The Dark Ages as projects he has worked on. In the past, various developers from id Software have revealed quite a few details about DOOM 4. Celebrating the release of DOOM (2016), designer Kevin Cloud spoke about the cancelled project, saying that it felt more like a story-based game and less like one that could belong in the DOOM series. “We explored a direction and got to a certain point and felt like this really wasn’t capturing what we felt like was going to be a strong DOOM and what the fans would want from it.” More recently, footage from the cancelled title has been released for the sake of preservation courtesy of id Software and documentary-maker Noclip.

Few decorative pieces possess the power to elevate a yardscape quite like the best outdoor rugs. In fact, more often than not, they tend to effortlessly tie the whole space together by grounding your furniture and lending the area a sense of scale.Outdoor rugs are designed specifically for high-traffic areas like outdoor spaces, mudrooms, and kitchens, so you can expect some serious durability. We’ve selected a list of handwoven, low-maintenance, and design-forward picks for giving your patio, porch, or poolside oasis a facelift. Ahead, discover the best outdoor rugs that will ground your space in style.Our top picks for the best outdoor rugsBest jute rug: The Citizenry Sabina Area Rug, $699 $560Best pattern: Lulu and Georgia Crawford Indoor/Outdoor Rug, $498Best indoor/outdoor rug: Ruggable Outdoor Halo Diamond Rug, $349Best moroccan design: Jonathan Y Textured Weave Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug, $72Best Southwestern design: Article Kristoff Indoor/Outdoor Rug, $349Editor’s Note: For the sake of consistency, we listed the 5x7' or 6x9' prices throughout. If you’re looking for something smaller or larger, though, most of these rugs are available in a variety of sizes and/or shapes.Browse by CategoryThe best outdoor rugs, overallThe Citizenry Sabina Area RugSpecsSizes: 5x8', 6x9', 8x10', 9x12', 10x14'Materials: 75% jute, 25% cottonJute is one of the most budget-friendly natural fibers out there. It also makes a great indoor-outdoor area rug option, since it offers some fun texture inside the house. This handwoven design is stain-, water-, and fade-resistant, plus made from eco-friendly materials like jute and cotton. Looking for a styling recommendation? If you have a multicolor scenario happening—brightly hued chairs or a funky bistro set—use this rug as an anchor of sorts.Lulu and Georgia Crawford Indoor/Outdoor RugSpecsSizes: 3x5', 4x6', 5x8', 6x9', 8x10', 9x12', 10x14'Materials: 75% jute, 25% cottonImitating Mediterranean villa tiles, this piece from Lulu & Georgia makes a charming statement in your outdoor space, but paired with some more minimal outdoor furniture pieces can form a mellow, European-inspired backdrop. Or go full Italian palatial with travertine details, pedestal planters, and a Cupid fountain.Ruggable Outdoor Halo Diamond RugSpecsSizes: 3x5', 4x6', 5x8', 6x9', 8x10', 9x12', 10x14'Materials: Recycled polyesterThis rug is contemporary but still grounding, and it delivers a certain upscale resort look worthy of a well-designed outdoor space. It merges bohemian style with modern design and we especially like that it’s—as Ruggable always is—machine-washable. It’s also made to be extra durable, and it works just as well indoors.Jonathan Y Textured Weave Indoor/Outdoor Area RugSpecsSizes: Refer to chartMaterial: PolypropyleneAmazon has achieved the antique Moroccan rug look for under $130, as well as made it suitable for high-traffic areas and outdoor spaces. The pattern and weave on this piece looks about as authentic as it gets for under $200, and it will look all the more legitimate underneath a few gorgeous pieces of teak furniture. This outdoor rug comes in quite literally every size, so you’re sure to find just the right dimensions, whether you’re looking for an outdoor dining pad or an entryway design lift.Article Kristoff Indoor/Outdoor RugSpecsSizes: 5x8', 8x10'Materials: PolyesterWith a traditional Southwestern design, this rug is flatweave and made from 100% polyester, making it perfect for high-traffic areas. It’s fade-resistant and offers a subtle pattern that would pair well with lots of different decor styles. It also comes in two other colorways, including gray and cream, but this one strikes the perfect balance of light and dark.Joss & Main Sesena Indoor/Outdoor Area RugSpecsSizes: 3'3"x4'11", 4'10"x7'6", 6'6”x9'4", 7'10"x9'10", 1'11"x7'6"Materials: PolypropyleneThis rug is made of synthetic materials and features a super interesting color combination of olive green and black, which makes it the perfect option if you’re looking to add an earthy feel to your porch. At 12-inches in height, the low-pile design won’t get in the way. It’s also completely stain-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about it wearing over time.West Elm Ombre Pop Outdoor RugSpecsSizes: 2.5x7' 2.5x9', 3x5', 5x8', 6x9', 8x10', 9x12', 10x14'Materials: Recycled polyesterSomething about the color combo in this reversible rug reminds us of a beach sunset, and we’re into it. It’s made of recycled polyester and designed to stand up to anything, including spills and heavy foot traffic. Seen here in cobalt, it’s also available in a black, yellow, and terra-cotta combo.Sundays Seawall RugSpecsSizes: 5x8', 8x10', 9x12'Materials: Recycled polyesterSuitable for both indoor and outdoor, this unique rug from Sundays plays with an unexpected color palette—a dusty, pastel teal against jute—and pattern, dueling stripes. This feels Scandinavian and minimalist without leaning so stark—it still maintains a sense of personality and playfulness for making your poolside setup feel more fun than strictly professional.What are outdoor rugs made of?There are some obvious differences between an indoor rug and one used for outdoor living—you won’t see the same type of rug you’d pick for your dining room or living space on your outdoor patio too often. Indoor rugs can be more plush, allowing your feet to sink in a bit. But that’s not always the case—after all, an outdoor rug can easily make the transition indoors (once cleaned, of course; more on that below).Common materials for outdoor rugs include polyester, jute, olefin, nylon, sisal, and polypropylene. All of these are sturdier fibers that are mildew-resistant and can withstand many different climates—wool is beautiful, but it wouldn’t last two minutes in an unexpected rainstorm. Most also have a latex backing or rug pad built into the back to keep things from sliding around.How to care for an outdoor rugIt’s easy to drop a patio rug off in its new home and then completely forget about it. But weather is wild, weather is unpredictable, and direct sunlight can do a number on your new textile. There are ways to ward off mildew and keep your rug soft for bare feet.And no matter where you buy your outdoor rug from, it will come with care instructions. The first and easiest way to lengthen the life and vibrancy of your new rug is to follow those guidelines. Your rug care plan will depend on what it’s made of—sturdier jute rugs will require less spot cleaning. There are designs out there that can be tossed in the washing machine (a great perk!). Anything that even leans toward “plush” will need a more involved cleaning regime. For most designs, plan to shake it out every couple of weeks followed by a good vacuum.

Microsoft has announced that it will be laying off around 3 percent of its employees across all departments, teams, and regions. According to a report by CNBC, this round of layoffs will affect around 6,000 employees from the various teams across Microsoft. Considering the far-reaching net cast by these layoffs, it is likely that employees from various game development studios under the Microsoft umbrella will also be affected to some extent. “We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace,” said a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement, who also said that one of the reasons for the layoffs was so that Microsoft could cut down on some of its layers of management. Microsoft hasn’t yet confirmed which of its teams is being hit by these layoffs, or whether its efforts to remove some of the layers of management across its divisions will also affect game development studios. This announcement of Microsoft is only the most recent round of layoffs that is hitting the games industry this year. Earlier this month, racing game developer Codemasters had announced a round of layoffs which it described as being done for the sake of “eliminating roles.” The announcement came alongside the fact that development on EA Sports WRC was ending, and work on future rally racing games was being paused. “As a business, we are constantly evolving to meet the growing needs of our players and driving greater focus across our portfolio,” a Codemasters spokesperson said. “This has led us to look at reducing some roles, while we redeploy as many as possible against our strategic priorities.” Back in April, EA had announced a round of layoffs affecting 300 employees across multiple teams, including Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi developer Respawn Entertainment. In its statement announcing the layoffs, an EA spokesperson said that the decision was being made in order to “align teams and allocate resources in service of driving future growth.”

Summary of This Study Hardware choices – specifically hardware type and its quantity – along with training time, have a significant positive impact on energy, water, and carbon footprints during AI model training, whereas architecture-related factors do not. The interaction between hardware quantity and training time slows the growth of energy, water, and carbon consumption slightly by 0.00002%. Overall energy efficiency during AI model training has improved slightly over the years, around 0.13% per year. Longer training time can gradually “drain” the overall energy efficiency by 0.03% per hour. Outline Introduction Research Question 1: Architectural and Hardware Choices vs Resource Consumption Research Question 2: Energy Efficiency over Time Methods Estimation methods Analysis methods Results RQ1: Architecture Factors Don’t Hold Much Predictive Power as Hardware Ones Final Model Selection Coefficients Interpretation RQ2 Discussion 1. Introduction Ever since the 1940s, when the first digital computers were invented, scientists have always dreamed of creating machines as smart as humans, what now became Artificial Intelligence (AI). Fast forward to November 2022, when ChatGPT — an AI model capable of listening and answering instantly — was released, it felt like a dream come true. Afterward, hundreds of new AI models have rushed into the race (take a look at the timeline here). Today, every single day, one billion messages are sent through ChatGPT (OpenAI Newsroom, 2024), highlighting the rapid AI adoption by users. Yet, few people stop to ask: What are the environmental costs behind this new convenience? Before users can ask AI questions, these models must first be trained. Training is the process where models, or algorithms, are fed datasets and try to find the best fit. Imagine a simple regression y = ax + b: training means feeding the algorithm x and y values and allowing it to find the best parameters a and b. Of course, AI models typically would not be as simple as a linear regression. They would contain tons of parameters, thus requiring massive amounts of computation and datasets. Moreover, they would need to run a substantial amount of specialized hardware that can handle that sheer amount of computation and complexity. All of that combined made AI consume much more energy than traditional software. In addition, AI training requires a stable and uninterrupted energy supply, which primarily comes from non-renewable energy sources like natural gas or coal-based, because solar and wind energy can fluctuate based on weather conditions (Calvert, 2024). Moreover, due to the high intensity of energy use, data centers — buildings that store AI models — heat up rapidly, emitting significant carbon footprints and requiring large amounts of water for cooling. Therefore, AI models have broad environmental impacts that include not only energy usage but also water consumption and carbon emissions. Unfortunately, there is not much official and disclosed data regarding energy, water, and carbon footprints of AI models. The public remains largely unaware of these environmental impacts and thus has not created strong pressure or motivations for tech companies to take more systematic changes. Furthermore, while some improvements have been made — especially in hardware energy efficiency — there remains little systematic or coordinated effort to effectively reduce the overall environmental impacts of AI. Therefore, I am hoping to increase public awareness of these hidden environmental costs and to explore whether recent improvements in energy efficiency are substantial. More particularly, I’m seeking to address two research questions in this study: RQ1: Is there a significant relationship between AI models’ architectural and hardware choices and their resource consumption during training? RQ2: Has AI training become energy-efficient over time? 2. Methods:  The paper used a dataset called Notable AI Models from Epoch AI (Epoch AI, 2025), a research institute that investigates the trends of AI development. The models included were either historically relevant or represent cutting-edge advances in AI. Each model was recorded with key training information such as the number of parameters, dataset size, total compute, hardware type, and hardware quantity, all collected from various sources, including literature reviews, publications, and research papers. The dataset also reported the confidence level for these attributes. To produce a reliable analysis, I evaluated only models with a confidence rating of “Confident” or “Likely”. As noted earlier, there was limited data regarding direct resource consumption. Fortunately, the dataset authors have estimated Total Power Draw (in watts, or W) based on several factors, including hardware type, hardware quantity, and some other data center efficiency rates and overhead. It is important to note that power and energy are different: power (W) refers to the amount of electricity used per unit of time, while energy (in kilowatt-hours, or kWh) measures the total cumulative electricity consumed over time. Since this study investigated resource consumption and energy efficiency during the training phase of AI models, I constructed and estimated four environmental metrics: total energy used (kWh), total water used (liters, or L), total carbon emissions (kilograms of CO2e, or kgCO2e), and energy efficiency (FLOPS/W, to be explained later). a. Estimation methods First, this study estimated energy consumption by selecting models with available total power draw (W) and training times (hours). Energy was computed as follows: \[\text{Energy (kWh)} = \frac{\text{Total Power Draw (W)}}{1000} \times \text{Training Time (h)}\] Next, water consumption and carbon emissions were estimated by rearranging the formulas of two standard rates used in data centers: Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE, in L/kWh) and Carbon Intensity (CI, in kgCO2e/kWh): \[\text{WUE (L/kWh)} = \frac{\text{Water (L)}}{\text{Energy (kWh)}}\ \Longrightarrow\ \text{Water (L)} = \text{WUE (L/kWh)} \times \text{Energy (kWh)}\] This study used the average WUE of 0.36 L/kWh in 2023, reported by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2024). \[\mathrm{CI\ \left( \frac{\mathrm{kgCO_2e}}{\mathrm{kWh}} \right)} = \frac{\mathrm{Carbon\ (kgCO_2e)}}{\mathrm{Energy\ (kWh)}}\ \Longrightarrow\ \mathrm{Carbon\ (kgCO_2e)} = \mathrm{CI\ \left( \frac{\mathrm{kgCO_2e}}{\mathrm{kWh}} \right)} \times \mathrm{Energy\ (kWh)}\] This study used an average carbon intensity of 0.548 kg CO₂e/kWh, reported by recent environmental research (Guidi et al, 2024). Finally, this study estimated energy efficiency using the FLOPS/W metric. A floating-point operation (FLOP) is a basic arithmetic operation (e.g., addition or multiplication) with decimal numbers. FLOP per second (FLOPS) measures how many such operations a system can perform each second, and is commonly used to evaluate computing performance. FLOPS per Watt (FLOPS/W) measures how much computing performance is achieved per unit of power consumed: \[\text{Energy Efficiency (FLOPS/W)} = \frac{\text{Total Compute (FLOP)}}{\text{Training Time (h)} \times 3600 \times \text{Total Power Draw(W)}}\] It is important to note that FLOPS/W is typically used to measure hardware-level energy efficiency. However, it’s possible that the actual efficiency during AI training may be different from the thereotical efficiency reported for the hardware used. I would like to investigate whether any of the training-related factors, beyond hardware alone, may contribute significantly to overall energy efficiency. b. Analysis methods: RQ1: Architectural and Hardware Choices vs Resource Consumption  Among energy, water, and carbon consumption, I focused on modeling energy consumption, as both water and carbon are derived directly from energy using fixed conversion rates and all three response variables shared identical distributions. As a result, I believe we could safely assume that the best-fitting model of energy consumption can be applied to water and carbon. While the statistical models were the same, I would still report the results of all three to quantify how many kilowatt-hours of energy, liters of water, and kilograms of carbon are wasted for every unit increase in each significant factor. That way, I am hoping to communicate the environmental impacts of AI in a more holistic, concrete, and tangible terms. Figure 2a. Histogram of Energy Consumption (kWh) Figure 2b. Histogram of log of Energy Consumption (kWh) Based on Figure 1, the histogram of energy showed extreme right skew and the presence of some outliers. Therefore, I performed a log transformation on energy data, aiming to stabilize variance and move the distribution closer to normality (Fig. 2). A Shapiro-Wilk test confirmed the log-transformed energy data is approximately normal (p-value = 0.5). Based on this, two types of distributions were considered: the Gaussian (normal) and the Gamma distribution. While the Gaussian distribution is approriate for symmetric and normal data, the Gamma distribution is more suited for positive, skewed data — commonly used in engineering modeling where small values occur more frequently than larger values. For each distribution, the paper compared two approaches for incorporating the log transformation: directly log transforming the response variable versus using a log link function within a generalized linear model (GLM). I identified the best combination of distribution and log approach by evaluating their Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), diagnostic plots, along with prediction accuracy. The candidate predictors included Parameters, Training Compute, Dataset Size, Training Time, Hardware Quantity, and Hardware Type. Architecture-related variables comprised Parameters, Training Compute, and Dataset Size, while hardware-related variables consisted of Hardware Quantity and Hardware Type. Training Time didn’t fall neatly into either category but was included due to its central role in training AI models. After fitting all candidate predictors into the selected GLM specification, I tested for multicollinearity to determine whether any variables should be excluded. Following this, I explored interaction terms, as each resource consumption may not have responded linearly to each independent variable. The following interactions were considered based on domain knowledge and various sources: Model Size and Hardware Type: Different hardware types have different memory designs. The larger and more complex the model is, the more memory it requires (Bali, 2025). Energy consumption can be different depending on how the hardware handles memory demands. Dataset Size and Hardware Type: Similarly, with different memory designs, hardware may access and read data at different data size (Krashinsky et al, 2020). As dataset size increases, energy consumption can vary depending on how the hardware handles large volumes of data. Training Time with Hardware Quantity: Running multiple hardware units at the same time adds extra overhead, like keeping everything in sync (HuggingFace, 2025). As training goes on, these coordination costs can grow and put more strain on the system, leading to faster energy drain. Training Time with Hardware Type: As training time increases, energy use may vary across hardware types since some hardware types may manage heat better or maintain performance more consistently over time, while others may slow down or consume more energy. RQ2: Energy Efficiency over Time Figure 2c. Histogram of Energy Efficiency (FLOPS/W) Figure 2d. Histogram of Energy Efficiency (FLOPS/W) The distribution of energy efficiency was highly skewed. Even after a log transformation, the distribution remained non-normal and overdispersed. To reduce distortion, I removed one extreme outlier with exceptionally high efficiency, as it was not a frontier model and likely less impactful. A Gamma GLM was then fitted using Publication Date as the primary predictor. If models using the same hardware exhibited wide variation in efficiency, it would suggest that other factors beyond the hardware may contribute to these differences. Therefore, architecture and hardware predictors from the first research question would be used to assess which variables significantly influence energy efficiency over time. 3. Results RQ1: Architectural and Hardware Choices vs Resource Consumption I ultimately used a Gamma GLM with a log link to model resource consumption. This combination was chosen because it had a lower AIC value (1780.85) than the Gaussian log-link model (2005.83) and produced predictions that matched the raw data more closely than models using a log-transformed response variable. Those log-transformed models generated predictions that substantially underestimated the actual data on the original scale (see this article on why log-transforming didn’t work in my case). Architecture Factors Don’t Hold Much Predictive Power as Hardware Ones After fitting all candidate explanatory variables to a Gamma log-link GLM, we found that two architecture-related variables — Parameters and Dataset Size — do not exhibit a significant relationship with resource consumption (p > 0.5). A multicollinearity test also showed that Dataset Size and Training Compute were highly correlated with other predictors (GVIF > 6). Based on this, I hypothesized that all three architecture variables—Parameters, Dataset Size, and Training Compute) may not hold much predictive power. I then removed all three variables from the model and an ANOVA test confirmed that simplified models (Models 4 and 5) are not significantly worse than the full model (Model 1), with p > 0.05: Model 1: Energy_kWh ~ Parameters + Training_compute_FLOP + Training_dataset_size + Training_time_hour + Hardware_quantity + Training_hardware + 0 Model 2: Energy_kWh ~ Parameters + Training_compute_FLOP + Training_time_hour + Hardware_quantity + Training_hardware Model 3: Energy_kWh ~ Parameters + Training_dataset_size + Training_time_hour + Hardware_quantity + Training_hardware Model 4: Energy_kWh ~ Parameters + Training_time_hour + Hardware_quantity + Training_hardware + 0 Model 5: Energy_kWh ~ Training_time_hour + Hardware_quantity + Training_hardware + 0 Resid. Df Resid. Dev Df Deviance Pr(>Chi) 1 46 108.28 2 47 111.95 -1 -3.6700 0.07809 . 3 47 115.69 0 -3.7471 4 48 116.09 -1 -0.3952 0.56314 5 49 116.61 -1 -0.5228 0.50604 Moving on with Model 5, I found that Training Time and Hardware Quantity showed significant positive relationships with Energy Consumption (GLM: training time, t = 9.70, p-value < 0.001; hardware quantity, t = 6.89, p-value < 0.001). All hardware types were also statistically significant (p-value < 0.001), indicating strong variation in energy use across different types. Detailed results are presented below: glm(formula = Energy_kWh ~ Training_time_hour + Hardware_quantity + Training_hardware + 0, family = Gamma(link = "log"), data = df) Coefficients: Estimate Std. Error t value Pr(>|t|) Training_time_hour 1.351e-03 1.393e-04 9.697 5.54e-13 *** Hardware_quantity 3.749e-04 5.444e-05 6.886 9.95e-09 *** Training_hardwareGoogle TPU v2 7.213e+00 7.614e-01 9.474 1.17e-12 *** Training_hardwareGoogle TPU v3 1.060e+01 3.183e-01 33.310 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareGoogle TPU v4 1.064e+01 4.229e-01 25.155 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareHuawei Ascend 910 1.021e+01 1.126e+00 9.068 4.67e-12 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA A100 1.083e+01 3.224e-01 33.585 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB 1.084e+01 5.810e-01 18.655 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB 1.149e+01 5.754e-01 19.963 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 3.065e+00 1.077e+00 2.846 0.00644 ** Training_hardwareNVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X 6.377e+00 7.614e-01 8.375 5.13e-11 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA GTX Titan Black 6.371e+00 1.079e+00 5.905 3.28e-07 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA H100 SXM5 80GB 1.149e+01 6.825e-01 16.830 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA P100 5.910e+00 7.066e-01 8.365 5.32e-11 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA Quadro P600 5.278e+00 1.081e+00 4.881 1.16e-05 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 5.918e+00 1.085e+00 5.455 1.60e-06 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 4.932e+00 1.081e+00 4.563 3.40e-05 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA Tesla K80 9.091e+00 7.760e-01 11.716 8.11e-16 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA Tesla V100 DGXS 32 GB 1.059e+01 6.546e-01 16.173 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA Tesla V100S PCIe 32 GB 1.089e+01 1.078e+00 10.099 1.45e-13 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA V100 9.683e+00 4.106e-01 23.584 < 2e-16 *** --- Signif. codes: 0 ‘***’ 0.001 ‘**’ 0.01 ‘*’ 0.05 ‘.’ 0.1 ‘ ’ 1 (Dispersion parameter for Gamma family taken to be 1.159293) Null deviance: 2.7045e+08 on 70 degrees of freedom Residual deviance: 1.1661e+02 on 49 degrees of freedom AIC: 1781.2 Number of Fisher Scoring iterations: 25 Final Model Selection To better capture possible non-additive effects, various interaction terms were explored and their respective AIC scores (Table 1). The table below summarizes the tested models and their respective AIC scores: ModelPredictorsAIC5Training Time + Hardware Quantity + Hardware Type350.786Training Time + Hardware Quantity + Hardware Type * Parameters357.977Training Time + Hardware Quantity + Hardware Type * Dataset Size335.898Training Time * Hardware Quantity + Hardware Type345.399Training Time * Hardware Type + Hardware Quantity333.03Table 1. Summary of different GLM models and their respective AIC scores. Although AIC scores did not vary drastically, meaning their model fits are similar, Model 8 was preferred as it was the only one with significant effects in both main terms and interaction. Interactions involved Hardware Type were not significant despite some exhibiting better AIC, likely due to limited sample size across 18 hardware types. In Model 8, both Training Time and Hardware Quantity showed a significant positive relationship with energy consumption (GLM: t = 11.09, p < 0.001), and between hardware quantity and energy consumption (GLM: training time, t = 11.09, p < 0.001; hardware quantity, t = 7.32, p < 0.001; Fig. 3a). Their interaction term was significantly negative (GLM: t = –4.32, p < 0.001), suggesting that energy consumption grows more slowly when training time increases alongside with a higher number of hardware units. All hardware types remained significant (p < 0.001). Detailed results are as below: glm(formula = Energy_kWh ~ Training_time_hour * Hardware_quantity + Training_hardware + 0, family = Gamma(link = "log"), data = df) Coefficients: Estimate Std. Error t value Pr(>|t|) Training_time_hour 1.818e-03 1.640e-04 11.088 7.74e-15 *** Hardware_quantity 7.373e-04 1.008e-04 7.315 2.42e-09 *** Training_hardwareGoogle TPU v2 7.136e+00 7.379e-01 9.670 7.51e-13 *** Training_hardwareGoogle TPU v3 1.004e+01 3.156e-01 31.808 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareGoogle TPU v4 1.014e+01 4.220e-01 24.035 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareHuawei Ascend 910 9.231e+00 1.108e+00 8.331 6.98e-11 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA A100 1.028e+01 3.301e-01 31.144 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB 1.057e+01 5.635e-01 18.761 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB 1.093e+01 5.751e-01 19.005 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 3.042e+00 1.043e+00 2.916 0.00538 ** Training_hardwareNVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X 6.322e+00 7.379e-01 8.568 3.09e-11 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA GTX Titan Black 6.135e+00 1.047e+00 5.862 4.07e-07 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA H100 SXM5 80GB 1.115e+01 6.614e-01 16.865 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA P100 5.715e+00 6.864e-01 8.326 7.12e-11 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA Quadro P600 4.940e+00 1.050e+00 4.705 2.18e-05 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 5.469e+00 1.055e+00 5.184 4.30e-06 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 4.617e+00 1.049e+00 4.401 5.98e-05 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA Tesla K80 8.631e+00 7.587e-01 11.376 3.16e-15 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA Tesla V100 DGXS 32 GB 9.994e+00 6.920e-01 14.443 < 2e-16 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA Tesla V100S PCIe 32 GB 1.058e+01 1.047e+00 10.105 1.80e-13 *** Training_hardwareNVIDIA V100 9.208e+00 3.998e-01 23.030 < 2e-16 *** Training_time_hour:Hardware_quantity -2.651e-07 6.130e-08 -4.324 7.70e-05 *** --- Signif. codes: 0 ‘***’ 0.001 ‘**’ 0.01 ‘*’ 0.05 ‘.’ 0.1 ‘ ’ 1 (Dispersion parameter for Gamma family taken to be 1.088522) Null deviance: 2.7045e+08 on 70 degrees of freedom Residual deviance: 1.0593e+02 on 48 degrees of freedom AIC: 1775 Number of Fisher Scoring iterations: 25 Figure 3a. Relationship between hardware quantity and log of energy consumption across training time groups. Training time was originally a continuous variable. For the sake of visualization, training time was divided into three equal-sized levels and labeled as high, mid, and low. Coefficients Interpretation To further interpret the coefficients, we can exponentiate each coefficient and subtract one to estimate the percent change in the response variable for each additional unit in the predictor (Popovic, 2022). For energy consumption, each additional hour of training would increase energy use by 0.18%, each additional hardware unit would add 0.07%, and their interaction reduced their combined main effects by 0.00002%. Similarly, since water and carbon were directly proportional with energy, the percent change in training time, hardware quantity, and their interaction remained the same (Fig. 3b, Fig. 3c). However, since hardware types were categorical variables and functioned as baseline intercepts, their values differed across energy, water, and carbon models to reflect differences in overall scale. Figure 3b. Relationship between hardware quantity and log of water consumption across training time groups. Figure 3c. Relationship between hardware quantity and log of carbon emissions across training time groups. RQ2: Energy Efficiency over Time I also used a log-linked Gamma model to examine the relationship between Energy Efficiency and Publication Date, as the Shapiro-Wilk test indicated that the log-transformed data was not normally distributed (p < 0.001). There was a positive relationship between Publication Date and Energy Efficiency, with an estimated improvement of 0.13% per year (GLM: t = 8.005, p < 0.001, Fig. 3d). Figure 3d. Relationship between publication year and log of energy efficiency (FLOPS/W). Each point represents a model, and the blue line shows a fitted trend using a linear model. To further investigate, we examined the trends by individual hardware type and observed noticeable variation in efficiency among AI models using the same hardware (Fig. 3e). Among all architecture and hardware choices, Training Time was the only statistically significant factor influencing energy efficiency (GLM: t = 8.581, p < 0.001), with longer training time decreases energy efficiency by 0.03% per hour. Figure 3e. Trends in log of energy efficiency (FLOPS/W) by hardware type over time. Each panel represents a specific hardware model, showing individual data points and fitted linear trends. Only hardware types used in at least three models are included. 4. Discussion This study found that hardware choices — including Hardware Type and Hardware Quantity — along with Training Time, have a significant relationship with each resource consumption during AI Model Training, while architecture variables do not. I suspect that Training Time may have implicitly captured some of the underlying effects of those architecture-related factors. In addition, the interaction between Training Time and Hardware also contributes to the resource usage. However, this analysis is constrained by the small dataset (70 valid models) across 18 hardware types, which likely limits the statistical power of hardware-involved interaction terms. Further research could explore these interactions with larger and more diverse datasets. To illustrate how resource-intensive AI training can be, we use Model 8 to predict the baseline energy consumption for a single hour of training on one NVIDIA A100 chip. Here are the predictions for each type of resource under this simple setup: Energy: The predicted energy use is 29,213 kWh, nearly three times the annual energy consumption of an average U.S. household (10,500 kWh/year) (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2023), with each extra hour adding 5258 kWh more and each extra chip adding 2044 kWh. Water: Similarly, the same training session would consume 10,521 liters of water, almost ten times the average U.S. household’s daily water use (300 gallons or 1135 liters/day) (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2024), with each extra hour adding 1,894 liters and each chip adding 736 liters. Carbon: the predicted carbon emission is 16,009 kg, about four times the annual emissions of a U.S. household (4000kg/year) (University of Michigan, 2024), with each extra hour adding 2881 kg and each extra chip adding 1120 kg. This study also found that AI models have become more energy-efficient over time, but only slightly, with an estimated improvement of 0.13% per year. This suggests that while newer hardware is more efficient, its adoption has not been widespread. While the environmental impact of AI may be mitigated over time as hardware hardware has become more efficient, this focus on hardware alone may overlook other contributors to overall energy consumption. In this dataset, both Training Compute and Total Power Draw are often estimated values and may include some system-level overhead beyond hardware alone. Therefore, the efficiency estimates in this study may reflect not just hardware performance, but potentially other training-related overhead. This study observed substantial variation in energy efficiency even among models using the same hardware. One key finding is that longer training time can “drain” energy efficiency, reducing it by approximately 0.03%. Further studies should explore how training practices, beyond hardware selection, impact the environmental costs of AI development. References Calvert, B.. 2024. AI already uses as much energy as a small country. It’s only the beginning. Vox. https://www.vox.com/climate/2024/3/28/24111721/climate-ai-tech-energy-demand-rising OpenAI Newsroom. 2024. Fresh numbers shared by @sama earlier today: 300M weekly active ChatGPT users. 1B user messages sent on ChatGPT every day 1.3M devs have built on OpenAI in the US. Tweet via X. 2024. https://x.com/OpenAINewsroom/status/1864373399218475440 Epoch AI. 2025. Data on Notable AI Models. Epoch AI. https://epoch.ai/data/notable-ai-models Shehabi, A., S.J. Smith, A. Hubbard, A. Newkirk, N. Lei, M.A.B. Siddik, B. Holecek, J. Koomey, E. Masanet, and D. Sartor. 2024. 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California. LBNL-2001637. Guidi, G., F. Dominici, J. Gilmour, K. Butler, E. Bell, S. Delaney, and F.J. Bargagli-Stoffi. 2024. Environmental Burden of United States Data Centers in the Artificial Intelligence Era. arXiv abs/2411.09786. Bali, S.. 2025. GPU Memory Essentials for AI Performance. NVIDIA Developer. https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/gpu-memory-essentials-for-ai-performance/ Krashinsky, R., O. Giroux, S. Jones, N. Stam, and S. Ramaswamy. 2020. NVIDIA Ampere Architecture In-Depth. NVIDIA Developer. https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/nvidia-ampere-architecture-in-depth/ HuggingFace. 2025. Performance Tips for Training on Multiple GPUs. HuggingFace Documentation. https://huggingface.co/docs/transformers/en/perf_train_gpu_many Popovic, G.. 2022. Interpreting GLMs. Environmental Computing. Environment Computing. https://environmentalcomputing.net/statistics/glms/interpret-glm-coeffs/ U.S. Energy Information Administration. 2023. Use of Energy Explained: Electricity Use in Homes. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/electricity-use-in-homes.php United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2024. How We Use Water. https://www.epa.gov/watersense/how-we-use-water Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan. 2024. Carbon Footprint Factsheet. Pub. No. CSS09–05. The post Rethinking the Environmental Costs of Training AI — Why We Should Look Beyond Hardware appeared first on Towards Data Science.

The best gifts for dad should lean into what he loves most (besides you). Sure, an obvious pick like a customized mug or a gift card to his favorite shop are great ideas, but something that caters to his interests and that he’ll actually use? Prepare to solidify your status as the favorite. Gift the die-hard sports fanatics a chic piece of memorabilia (yes, those exist!) that supports his favorite team. Or if he’s most comfortable in the kitchen, a recipe journal or pizza oven could be calling his name. Is he a little too attached to his worn-out work bag? A new one is the gift he never knew he needed.We’re just a few weeks away from Father’s Day (June 15, mark your calendars!), so you have plenty of time to shop for the father figure in your life—or bookmark some ideas if you need a future birthday gift or holiday present. Read on for the best-selling Father’s Day gift ideas, including in-demand and personalized picks sure to dazzle the dad in your life.Our Top Picks for the Best Gifts for Dad:For the Fashionable Hiker: Salomon XT-6 Gore-Tex Shoes, $180For the Stylish Scholar: STAMTECH Custom Logo Book Embosser Stamp, $15For the Sports Fan: MLB Stadium Sculpture Candle, $48For the Office Warrior: Shinola Runwell Leather Messenger Bag, $895For the Adventurous Grillmaster: Gozney Tread, $500Browse by CategoryClothing & AccessoriesOn Track Pack Lite BagWhether he’s a frequent traveler or constantly lugging his life in a bag, give him an upgrade with this On Cloud tote. It has tons of compartments, too, so he can store everything he needs for work, workouts, or travel. New dads might also prefer to use this as their signature cool dad diaper bag.Salomon XT-6 Gore-Tex ShoesOutdoorsy dads are covered with this trail shoe, which is backed by hundreds of positive reviews. Designed with waterproofing and extra stability, they’ll keep him dry and comfortable on your next family hike but are also stylish enough that he’ll be the coolest-looking guy shopping at Whole Foods.The North Face Summer LT Run HatThe North Face is a go-to for great gifts your dad is guaranteed to love. Take this lightweight hat, for instance, which is made with quick-drying fabric and breathable mesh side panels that will keep him cool on his weekend jogs.Shinola Runwell Leather Messenger BagChances are, he could use a new work bag. For a more luxurious, high-quality gift, this one is crafted from premium leather, has plenty of pockets (including one for his laptop), and a subtle magnetic closure.J.Crew Sterling Silver Rectangle Cuff LinksYou don’t have to be into jewelry to appreciate some handsome cuff links peeking out of a crisp, French cuff shirt. This heirloom-worthy sterling silver pair is simple, understated, and elegant for dressing up a suit or doing the most at the office.Quince Mongolian Cashmere Ribbed BeanieCrafted with Mongolian cashmere and built for dads who love to stay cozy, this super soft ribbed beanie is a year-round staple (we think it would pair perfectly with the brand’s cashmere hoodie).Our Legacy Cotton Coach JacketCater to your favorite fashionisto’s love of Scandi design with this timeless work jacket from Swedish–based Our Legacy. A staple that can be dressed up or down, the sturdy cotton material is cut with a slightly dropped shoulder silhouette that’ll give your guy the boxier fit he gravitates towards.KitchenGozney Tread Pizza OvenWhile your dad might not travel the world with his cookware a la Stanley Tucci, he probably loves pizza night. Skip the delivery with this ultraportable pizza oven, one of Gozney’s highly anticipated new arrivals. He can keep in the backyard or take on the go, Tucci-style. (Psst—the brand is also Benny Blanco–approved).ButcherBox Curated Classic BoxSummertime is around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about all the backyard BBQs drawing near. Encourage your own grill master to enjoy his favorite hobby with a regular supply of sustainably sourced meat—no trip to the butcher required. And since each box is delivered within five days of billing, it makes for a solid last-minute gift idea too.LARQ Bottle PureVis 2Hydration is key for everyone, and this stainless-steel water bottle takes it to the next level for Dad. It’s so high-tech, in fact, that he can pair it with an app to track his water intake via Bluetooth.Papier Dad's Recipes JournalFor your favorite personal chef, encourage him to write down his best recipes in this keepsake journal that can easily double as coffee table decor. Add your own photo and customize the title with an inside joke or sweet reference for your most thoughtful gift to date.HobbiesUncommon Goods MLB Stadium Sculpture CandleA gift guide for dads wouldn’t be complete without a shout-out to the sports aficionados. My architect husband is a die-hard New York Mets fan and a firm believer that you can never have too many candles on-hand. So it only made sense that one of his favorite Christmas gifts was this hand-poured wax candle topped with an intricately designed, laser-cut wooden replica of Citi Field. Choose dad’s favorite team, and he’ll light it all season long.STAMTECH Custom Logo Book Embosser StampWith this unique gift from Amazon, he can make his mark on a ton of stuff—stationery, labels, books, recipes, and so on. Each engraved plate can be customized with his initials, a special message, or logo, and it’ll instantly personalize his most treasured items.

While some of the major price drops on the latest M4 machines are starting to jump back up, we did spot one of the best prices to date on the 24GB 13-inch M4 MacBook Air today at $154 off. From there we move over to a deep Amazon all-time low on the 512GB 11-inch M2 iPad Air with the Wi-Fi + Cell upgrade at $250 off, ongoing $100 price drops on the most affordable iPad mini 7 from $399, and some notable accessory deals – the officialUSB-C woven Apple Watch Magnetic Charger at $20 and this Find My wallet card tracker at $21. Everything else awaits down below.  Apple’s 24GB 13-inch M4 MacBook Air hits one of its best prices yet at $1,245 ($154 off) Much like we described yesterday, Amazon has been holding strong with $150 price drops across the M4 MacBook Air lineup, but there has been a few configurations that have dropped down even lower than that. We are now seeing the 13-inch 24GB model with the 512GB SSD at slightly better than $150 off right now – it is currently sitting at $1,245.26 shipped in select colorways. This upgraded configuration carries a list price at $1,399, and much like we saw with the 15-inch variant yesterday, Amazon is getting slightly aggressive here and once again dipping prices even lower at $154 off the going rate. This is the second lowest we have tracked on this model – the last time out was a few bucks less than this it and did not last for very long at all. If you’re looking to land an upgraded M4 Air, the 24GB 13-incher would be my recommendation, but all things considered, with at least $150 off just about every configuration and color right now, it’s almost impossible to go wrong at all. 13-inch M4 MacBook Air 16GB/256GB from $849 (Reg. $999) 13-inch M4 MacBook Air 16GB/512GB from $1,049 (Reg. $1,199) 13-inch M4 MacBook Air 24GB/512GB from $1,249 (Reg. $1,399) 15-inch M4 MacBook Air 16GB/256GB from $1,049 (Reg. $1,199) 15-inch M4 MacBook Air 16GB/512GB from $1,249 (Reg. $1,399) 15-inch M4 MacBook Air 24GB/512GB from $1,447 (Reg. $1,599) Hit up our recent feature piece too – Air vs. Pro: Is the latest M4 MacBook Air at the $849 all-time low the best value for an Apple laptop? While Apple has unleashed the more powerful M3 iPad Air lineup – we are still tracking $100 price drops on select configurations there, for many the M2 model will still suffice and we are now tracking a big-time price drop on an upgraded configuration via Amazon. You’ll now find the 512GB 11-inch M2 model with the Wi-Fi + Cell upgrade down at $799 shipped – that’s well below the original $1,049 asking price. This model debuted at $1,049 and has never sold for any less at Amazon than we are tracking here right now. You’re looking at $250 in savings and an Amazon all-time low. For comparison’s sake, an 11-inch 512GB M3 model without the Cell option will run you $899 from Apple and at least $827 at Amazon right now. The Wi-Fi + Cell M3 variant carries the same $1,049 list price as the M2. The M2 is not the M3, but for many the difference will be negligible at best. And considering it took this long to see this M2 configuration drop to a price this low at Amazon, you might have to wait until this time next year to see the same on the M3. As you can see in the list below, pricing is starting to creep up from the $100 discounts we have been tracking across the M3 lineup, making today’s M2 deal all the more enticing. But if you are looking to go M3, you’ll want to get in quick before we lose all of the $100 drops. 11-inch M3 iPad Air 128GB from $529 (Reg. $599) 11-inch M3 iPad Air 256GB from $599 (Reg. $699) 11-inch M3 iPad Air 512GB from $827 (Reg. $899) 11-inch M3 iPad Air 1TB from $999 (Reg. $1,099) 13-inch M3 iPad Air 128GB from $699 (Reg. $799) 13-inch M3 iPad Air 256GB from $799 (Reg. $899) 13-inch M3 iPad Air 512GB from $1,038 (Reg. $1,099) 13-inch M3 iPad Air 1TB from $1,199 (Reg. $1,299) Amazon all-time low pricing returns on latest iPad mini at $100 off, deals from $399 At this point most folks have some kind of charging station that can juice up their entire Apple kit at home, but if you’re looking to land an extra official magnetic Apple Watch charger for your EDC, travel kit, or perhaps something at the office, Woot has them on sale right now. Regularly $29, and rarely ever offered for under $24 at Amazon, you’ll find the official USB-C Apple Watch Magnetic Charger Cable on sale for $19.99 Prime shipped there right now (a $6 delivery fee will apply otherwise). Today’s deal delivers over 30% in savings on the usual $29 list price you’ll pay at Apple. At the time of writing, the best price you’ll find on Amazon has them sitting at over $24 from less than desirable third-party sellers. The $20 Prime shipped Woot offer is the best we can find from a reputable source. While they do ship in bulk packaging at Woot today, this seems a more than worthy trade-off considering the 30% price drop here and you are indeed getting a brand new unit with the full Apple warranty, according to the listing: Hey, you there! These items ship in “BULK PACKAGING”. That means that they will ship in a polybag or generic brown box, but the product inside is brand new and comes with the original 1 year Apple Warranty. This cable is exactly what it looks like. An official woven Apple lead with a USB-C jack on one end that terminates on the other side with your usual magnetic Apple Watch charger – it support Apple Watch fast charging on Apple Watch models Series 7 or newer. “Simply hold the connector near the back of the watch, where magnets cause it to snap into place automatically.” Official Apple Woven USB-C cables up to 62% off today: One for $10 or three at $7.30 each New 512GB Apple iPad (A16) just hit new Amazon all-time low at $100 off, but you can score an M3 iPad Air for less Rechargeable Find My wallet trackers don’t get much more affordable than this: UGREEN FineTrack card now $21.50 We just had a chance to go hands-on with the latest UGREEN Find My wallet tracker card and came away impressed with its capabilities for the price. Officially known as the UGREEN FineTrack Slim Smart Finder, it carries a $27 list price, saw a notable drop to $24 recently, and now an Amazon on-page coupon is taking things down to $21.59 with free shipping for Prime members or in orders over $35. At under $24, today’s over 20% in savings delivers one of the more affordable Find My-equipped wallet tracker cards you’ll find from a brand we feature around here on a regular basis. While there are more affordable models you’ll have to just throw out after the non-replaceable battery dies, this one can be re-charged as much as you need it to. While it doesn’t include the wireless MagSafe charging you’ll find on models like the Nomad Tracking Card – my personal favorite solution in the category (here’s my hands-on review), it is also nearly half the price and you really only need to charge it once a year or so, according to UGREEN. It measures out at 1.7mm thin (roughly the thickness of a coin) so it can neatly slide into your card carrier or wallet without hassle and deliver full-on Apple Find My tracking in the process – locate it on Apple’s map, left behind notifications, and trigger audible chimes from your phone. It also includes a charging cable so you can juice it up with any USB-C power source too. Dive into our hands-on review of the UGREEN FineTrack Slim Smart Finder right here for a closer look at the user experience. Brand new Powerbeats Pro 2 hit Amazon all-time low at $200 today (All colors $50 off), open-box units at $159 Today’s accessories and charging deals: Upgraded Apple Watch Series 10 models now up to $160 off at Amazon, base models from $299 Pricing on the base model 42mm and 46mm Apple Watch Series 10 models has remained steady at the $100 off mark – deals are currently starting from $299 Amazon all-time lows. But after the GPS + Cell models jumped back up price earlier this week, the straight $110 in savings is now live once again on select configurations, including both the 42mm and 46mm models. The base GPS + Cell models carry list prices at $499 and $529, respectively. But you will now find both models on sale at $110 off via Amazon with prices once again sitting at $389 and $419 shipped, depending on the band you’re after. While not all band options are at the $110 off mark right now, there are some back down at the lowest price we have tracked online since release last fall. Here’s how pricing works out across the lineup right now: 42mm Apple Watch Series 10 $299 (Reg. $399) 46mm Apple Watch Series 10 $329 (Reg. $429) 42mm Apple Watch Series 10 GPS + Cell $389 (Reg. $499) 46mm Apple Watch Series 10 GPS + Cell $419 (Reg. $529) We are also still tracking the $150 price drops on the Titanium GPS + Cell models, as seen below – the 46mm Apple Watch Series 10 Titanium GPS + Cell with the Milanese Loop is actually $160 off: 42mm Apple Watch Series 10 Titanium GPS + Cell $549 (Reg. $699) 42mm Apple Watch Series 10 Titanium GPS + Cell $599 (Reg. $749) With Milanese Loop 46mm Apple Watch Series 10 Titanium GPS + Cell $599 (Reg. $749) 46mm Apple Watch Series 10 Titanium GPS + Cell $639 (Reg. $799) With Milanese Loop While some of the select Milanese Loop models have sold for $10 less in extremely limited sales at Amazon previously, you’re otherwise looking at all-time low pricing across the lineup. The only time any of these watches have sold for less than that is in limited YMMV or in-store offers very few folks would have even had a chance to take advantage of. Huge deals return on official Apple Solo Loops: Score 3 for just $20 (Orig. $147), more Anker debuts new 14-in-1 Prime Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station with halo light for Mac, iPad, more – early hands-on impressions ECOVACS officially launches new X9 PRO OMNI robo vac with real-time self-cleaning roller mop at $300 off Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Looking back, there are a few mistakes I made while traveling internationally with my grandma. Emily Schlorf 2025-05-13T14:12:01Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? In summer 2024, I traveled with my grandma, mom, and sister to Montreal. I wish I'd thought more about my grandma's physical needs when planning the itinerary. It would've been nice to have more downtime in our schedule, too. Despite living 1,800 miles apart, my 81-year-old grandma and I have always been close. We share a love for "Downton Abbey," cross-stitch, and strong coffee, and I couldn't imagine spending weeks in the summer anywhere but her sunny kitchen table in central Minnesota.Of course, I'd be naive to assume my time with her is unlimited. That's one reason my grandma, mom, sister, and I decided to embark on a trip to Montreal together last summer.Although I'm grateful we were able to take this trip, it could have gone a lot smoother had I known these three things about traveling with an older relative. The itinerary should have reflected everyone's physical needs, not just my own I should've considered how long it would take my grandma to get to excursions like our afternoon tea. Emily Schlorf I'm the most frequent traveler in my family, so I took on all the planning myself and approached the task the same way I do for solo travel: leaving no stone unturned.I thought my grandma would be well-prepared for the long days, given that she walks 3 miles a day and eats a far more balanced diet than I do.What I failed to consider, though, was how difficult it would be for her to walk on the uneven cobblestone streets. On our first day in the city, we nearly missed an afternoon tea reservation since I didn't factor in the slower pace we'd have to take to accommodate my grandma's careful steps.I also didn't realize just how exhausting a full-day Three Pines tour would be. Although fantastic — with stops at a monastery, local museum, and five-star resort for lunch — our visit to the villages that inspired the fictional location of my grandma's favorite mystery series was nine hours long. My family and I went on a nine-hour tour of Three Pines. Emily Schlorf As the day progressed, we took turns snoozing in the back seat of our tour guide's van. Upon arriving back at the bed and breakfast, my grandma exclaimed how long of a day it was; and I didn't disagree.Similarly, I didn't consider my grandma's physical limitations when choosing restaurants. Although they weren't lacking in ambiance — picture patios swallowed in bougainvillea and cool, brutalist interiors overlooking Lake Saint Louis — the dim lighting and small font sizes made it challenging for her to read the menu.My mom, sister, and I mitigated my grandma's vision issues by taking turns reading the menu aloud, line by line, but that got old fast.In retrospect, I wish I'd shown up equipped with solutions, such as finding the menu online so she could zoom in on my phone or reminding her to bring her readers, to improve everyone's dining experience. A long trip means extended time away from routinesEveryone gets to a point on vacation when they're ready to return home, but I would argue that the feeling is stronger for older adults like my grandma, who travel once or twice a year and may be used to a strict daily routine.Although my grandma never expressed this feeling to me outright, I noticed as the days went on, she became less game for her granddaughters' plans.For example, on our last evening, my sister and I wanted to check out the shops lining Saint-Laurent Boulevard, but my grandma preferred to have takeout in the hotel.We compromised, and my sister and I walked to the boulevard to pick up dinner, but we ditched our shopping plan since we felt bad keeping my mom and grandma waiting.I wish we'd had more downtime together One of my favorite memories from the trip was when we spontaneously visited a speakeasy. Emily Schlorf Instead of jam-packing every day with new experiences, I wish I'd taken my foot off the gas as the trip progressed — for my grandma's sake as well as my own.As we reached days five and six of the trip, my excitement for the activities I planned dwindled, and I found myself wishing I hadn't planned them at all.Besides, the memories I cherish most from the trip weren't the museums or guided tours, they were the unplanned ones: a shared bottle of wine with our bed and breakfast hosts, a visit to an outdoor antique market, and a nightcap at a speakeasy.Despite the challenges, I'd love to travel with my grandma again I would love to go on another trip with my grandma. Emily Schlorf To anyone contemplating a multigenerational trip, I say do it, but be more considerate than I was. Take time to plan the trip together, think of everyone's needs, and be content with slowing down.Strolling through the city hand-in-hand with my grandma, I learned that it's OK to leave some stones unturned, because the real joy comes from who you're turning them with. Recommended video