Roblox is implementing new safety policies intended to better protect the platform’s young users. We learned last month that changes were in the works for the game, and a post on the Roblox developer forum today detailed more about those rules. The big takeaway is that a greater section of Roblox content will not be available to players under age 13.
The first part of the new Roblox policy is that starting December 3, users younger than 13 will not be able to play, search or discover any unrated experiences on the platform. However, they can still view information on the experience detail page via a direct link. Roblox is thus requiring creators to confirm that the information on their experience detail pages — such as the thumbnail, title and description — meets the company’s criteria for either all ages or for ages 9 and up.
The second part of the policy will restrict access to Roblox’s Social Hangouts and Free-form User Creation experiences to users who are over 13. This rule will take effect on November 13.
Roblox has a rocky history when it comes to safety for youth and preteen users. Since 2018, at least two dozen people have been arrested by US policy on accusations of abducting or abusing child victims met through Roblox.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/roblox-details-two-new-safety-policies-for-protecting-children-225053423.html?src=rss
Jarvis is real. Google’s new AI prototype accidentally found its way to the public through the Chrome Web Store. This isn’t just some AI helper that can tell you the weather or remind you about doctor appointments. The Information reported that the store page describes the Jarvis prototype as “a helpful companion that surfs the web for you” through web browsers to take care of common tasks such as buying groceries, booking flight and research topics
In other words, Google’s new AI has the ability to take control of a computer to complete these simple tasks without manual human input. The prototype that popped up on Google’s extension store wasn’t in full working mode. A reporter tried to use Jarvis but access permissions prevented the app from performing any functions.
Google took down Jarvis’ store page by midafternoon ahead of its planned reveal in December. Jarvis will have some competition from outfits like Anthropic and its Claude AI assistant that started its public beta phase last month. Anthropic’s AI assistant can do more than just basic functions through a web browser. Claude can take over a computer to type text, activate buttons and move the cursor.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-accidentally-leaked-a-preview-of-its-jarvis-ai-that-can-take-over-computers-203125686.html?src=rss
LEGO Group has a rich history of making Star Wars-themed sets for 25 years, and for the holiday season, there’s something new that builders will want to add to their collection. The official 2024 Advent Calendar is a Star Wars-themed set that is selling like hotcakes as more than 60,000 units are already gone.
The interactive buildable set for both kids and adults comes with new Star Wars minifigures and vehicles that can be assembled each day leading up to Christmas time. The 368-piece LEGO set has miniature versions of the Holiday Princess Lia, Mandalorian Gauntlet, Jabba’s Sail Barge, Emperor’s Shuttle, Praetorian Guard, Super Battle Droid and many more.
Accompanying these cute minifigures are the 18 mini-vehicle models representing the respective franchise. These include Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, Millennium Falcon, X-Wing, TIE Fighter, AT-AT, Y-wing, Venator-Class Republic Attack Cruiser, Emperor’s Shuttle, U-wing, and T-6 Jedi Shuttle. This set is about imaginative story building to keep everyone engaged for 24 days and revere in the spirit of the Star Wars universe. Every morning there is a new surprise hidden for Star Wars fans to engage with and rejoice in the final build on Christmas day.
To create your personalized element of adventure and X-Mas spirit, the set can be combined with other Star Wars sets by LEGO. So, the permutations and combinations for having a fresh build are limitless. This gives LEGO builders the freedom to tinker around with any set element.
Star Wars Advent Calendar 2024 glorifies the 25th anniversary of LEGO and the Star Wars franchise just as the fans would desire. It is priced at $45 but can be bought for a discount at $36. This set along with the Harry Potter Advent Calendar gives LEGO lovers plenty of ways to set up their advent calendars for family fun. Otherwise, it can be displayed as a part of your Star Wars or LEGO collection on the workspace shelves in your geeky den.
Amazon has a deal on one of LG’s premium OLED TVs ahead of Black Friday. The 65-inch LG OLED evo C4, which only arrived earlier this year, typically costs $2,700. Today, you can get it for an all-time low of $1,394. That’s even lower than its October Prime Day sale price.
Although the C4 skips out on some bells and whistles of the ultra-premium LG G4 flagship TV, that model starts at $2,600 and goes all the way up to $25,000. (Cue spit take.)
The LG C4 includes AI features, thanks to its Alpha 9 Gen 7 chip. That enables AI Super Upscaling, which enhances your picture quality on the fly. Meanwhile, Multi View lets you split your screen into two, letting you plop your favorite content on each side.
Even if AI features aren’t high on your priority list, the TV has plenty of presentational perks. The 65-inch display has over eight million self-lit pixels and all the quality improvements you’d expect from OLED, like deeper blacks and richer colors. The TV has 100 percent color volume (meaning it can display the full range of colors at any brightness level) and 100 percent color fidelity (content-accurate colors). It boasts a 0.1ms response time and up to a 144Hz refresh rate for high gaming frame rates.
The TV gets brighter than its predecessor, reaching nearly nearly 1,000 nits. Its brightness booster feature magnifies individual pixels. If you have an LG soundbar, you can transmit wireless, lossless Dolby Atmos audio from the TV to it. As Engadget’s Steve Dent summarized at launch, that feature can give you high-quality surround sound with less hassle.
The TV supports Alexa out of the box if your smart home is plugged into Amazon’s ecosystem. Its array of ports includes USB, Ethernet and four HDMI inputs.
With concerns rising about climate change and the demand for eco-friendly solutions, bamboo has become a top choice. The growing popularity of bamboo products is largely due to their positive environmental impact. Though bamboo is commonly found in furniture and flooring, it’s not considered wood but rather a grass with distinct composition and growth patterns compared to tree wood where its tightly packed fibers contribute to its durability and strength.
Those very properties, however, make it quite ideal for some designs, and there is a wide range of applications of bamboo in furniture, accessories, or even architecture. It is becoming a widely-used alternative to wood because of its faster growth rate and ubiquity, not to mention its unique properties and deep roots in antiquity. Here we explore not only the reasons why bamboo is such a popular choice but also the variety of uses it has in contemporary product design.
Why is Bamboo the best material for sustainable product design?
Just like regular wood, bamboo is a renewable resource for production materials. Unlike typical trees, however, it’s often easier to grow and take care of. With minimal chemical and water requirements, bamboo stands out as an eco-friendly material that absorbs more carbon dioxide than cotton or timber and releases oxygen to enhance air quality.
As a material, it also offers plenty of unique properties that make it suitable to replace not just hardwood or metal but even plastic or fabric. Here are some of the reasons why bamboo has become such a darling in the product design industry, especially compared to less sustainable options.
Eco-Friendly Material – Bamboo’s self-regenerating nature and rapid growth with minimal care make it one of the most sustainable alternatives to plastic or metal.
Cost-Effective – Bamboo is an affordable material that allows designers to experiment with the material and integrate it into their designs.
Versatile Material – Bamboo is a versatile material that can be used to create various products like fabrics, towels, brushes, and furniture.
Highly Durable – Despite its lightweight, bamboo offers remarkable tensile strength, flexibility, and durability, making it resistant to wear and tear over time, unlike many other materials.
Strong yet Soft – Bamboo offers durability comparable to popular hardwoods, ensuring long-lasting beauty and functionality.
Grown Naturally without Chemicals – Bamboo is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and its 100% biodegradable fiber grows rapidly due to its grass-like nature
Aesthetically Appealing – Bamboo’s natural sheen and silk-like texture enhance the visual appeal of different products and provide a luxurious feel.
Given the versatility of bamboo, it’s no surprise that it has been used in a wide variety of product designs. It’s not just the usual furniture or accessories either, as some consumer electronics have even adopted this wonder material. Bamboo doesn’t just bring sustainability but also a touch of style to designs that use it.
Of course, not all products can simply use bamboo material willy-nilly, since the material is still wood. With some creative thinking, however, bamboo can be utilized for almost anything, including textile! Here are ten examples of bamboo being used in modern products to elevate their quality both from without and within.
1. Bamboo Furniture
In the Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk by FlexiSpot, form meets function in a sustainable package. Crafted with a bamboo desktop that exudes warmth and durability, this desk elevates any home office aesthetic. With its dual-motor lifting system, one can adjust the desk’s height to one’s, ensuring ergonomic comfort. Safety features like anti-collision technology and a child lock alongside an integrated cable tray keep wires organized, while the additional lacquer coating enhances resistance to scratches, water, and insects.
The design is simple and doesn’t hide the wooden nature of the bamboo tabletop. Instead, it proudly displays the grain patterns unique to wood that give the slab its own character. It takes the elegance of natural bamboo strips and puts them on top of an ergonomic desk for a luxurious and comfortable working experience.
2. Electronic Devices
Using wood with electronics isn’t a popular design, especially ones that get exposed to moisture and the elements regularly. Used properly, however, it can turn a utilitarian product into a fashion statement, making a device an extension of one’s character and tastes.
The Bambass headphones are a sustainable innovation that merges bamboo weaving with modern design. Crafted with eco-friendly materials like bamboo and vegan leather, these open-back headphones offer both style and functionality. The adjustable design ensures comfort, while the use of bamboo provides enhanced sound insulation. With a commitment to reducing e-waste, Bambass represents a step forward in eco-conscious electronic accessories.
3. Bamboo Towels
Bamboo is wood and wood is hard, so you’d presume that you can only use bamboo for similarly hard products. Unlike most trees, however, bamboo stalks are actually flexible and fibrous, making it possible to actually transform them into yarn and fabrics. What you get is textile that’s sustainable on many levels while still providing the basic properties of regular cloth.
PANGEA’s Bamboo Adventure Towel 2.0 is not just eco-friendly; it’s carbon-negative, actively removing more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits. Crafted entirely from 100% bamboo fibers, dyed with natural colors, and featuring a waffle pattern for enhanced absorption, it outperforms traditional microfiber towels. Designed for outdoor use, it’s naturally hypoallergenic, and antibacterial.
4. Bamboo Plates
Plates made of wood aren’t exactly new, especially in some cultures that emphasize a strong association with food and nature. Bamboo, however, opens up even more possibilities not only in terms of design but also sustainability. Reusing cutoffs, for example, helps reduce the need for raw materials even further, as demonstrated by this creative plate design.
Knork’s Sustainable Eco Plates feature a unique shape that comfortably holds wine glasses, perfect for eco-conscious entertaining. Made from bamboo and sugarcane offcuts, they contribute to a zero-waste future. The plates’ intelligent design includes space for wine glasses and hanging Knork Eco utensils. Crafted from Astrik resin, they’re biodegradable, dishwasher-safe, and decompose into compost in two years. These durable, sustainable plates minimize environmental impact, setting the stage for eco-friendly parties.
These minimal bamboo-inspired pens feature a magnetic base for self-organization. Designed by Kim Minsu, they resemble the aesthetic appeal of bamboo plants. The pens return to an upright position on the flat base, ensuring easy access whenever needed while adding a stylish touch to any workspace.
This minimalist tea set, designed for a luxury hotel brand in Jintan District, southern China, integrates the region’s renowned bamboo and high-grade green tea. The set, resembling bamboo, comprises a teacup, teapot, and tea spoon that stack to form a bamboo shape, symbolizing the traditional tea brewing process. This design seamlessly blends elegance with functionality, offering a serene addition to any kitchen.
6. Bamboo Toothbrush
There is so much plastic around us that we have become desensitized to their presence and effects on the environment. Even the toothbrushes we use to keep your teeth healthy is pretty much completely made of different kinds of plastic. Considering how often we replace these products, their accumulated numbers in landfills can be quite staggering.
The Everloop Toothbrush features an innovative design that allows for the replacement of its bamboo bristles. Made by NOS, this toothbrush addresses the alarming issue of plastic waste, with billions of toothbrushes being discarded each year. Its handle is crafted from recycled toothbrushes, while a clamping mechanism enables the attachment of 100% natural bamboo bristles. The plastic handle can be retained and the bamboo bristles can be periodically replaced to ensure that minimal plastic waste enters the environment.
7. Bamboo Pet Furniture
Humans aren’t the only ones who can enjoy bamboo-based products. With the rise in the number of pets in households, it’s only natural for pet furniture to also increase, most of which are made using plastic. Of course, not every piece or part of the pet furniture should be made of wood, but careful design can yield interesting results. CatYou in a Circle, for example, is an innovative modular cat furniture designed to serve as a lounge for both owners and pets. This set includes a floor sofa and coffee table, offering a relaxing space for cats and their owners.
Crafted with urban living in mind, it addresses common challenges faced by cat owners in compact spaces, providing hiding spots and play areas within the furniture. The woven bamboo design allows for visibility while maintaining boundaries, and adjustable armrests and washable cushions enhance comfort and versatility. CatYou in a Circle’s design balances functionality, style, and the behavioral needs of both pets and humans, making it an ideal solution for modern living spaces.
Thilina Liyanage’s “Birdie” is a picturesque bamboo glamping villa that resembles a majestic bird in flight. Located amidst a forest in Sri Lanka, this stunning creation showcases Liyanage’s talent for crafting nature-inspired structures using bamboo and wood. Elevated on stilts, Birdie offers occupants a serene view of the surrounding forest, with two levels providing ample space for a family of three. The upper level features a bedroom with a balcony, while the lower level includes a living space, a toilet, and a cantilever hammock for relaxation. With its bamboo, wood, and tile exterior, Birdie exudes the elegance of a swan about to take flight, creating an illusion of being suspended in the air. The spacious interior, cleverly integrated into the bird’s chest and wingspan, offers a comfortable retreat amidst nature.
Turtle Bay, situated by Thailand’s Khao Tao Reservoir in Hua Hin, exemplifies eco-tourism through its sustainable design and use of local materials. Architect Sarawoot Jansaeng-Aram’s concept includes floating bungalows crafted to resemble bamboo turtles, featuring shingled roofs and locally sourced bamboo. Embracing the renowned “Poon Tum” technique, known for its natural ventilation and resilience, Turtle Bay showcases a commitment to preserving the ecosystem.
9. Bamboo Cleaning Brush
Just like with toothbrushes, household cleaning tools are mostly made of plastic. Though some brushes do have wooden handles, their bristles are still made of plastic. It’s possible to use different materials, but the usual plastic alternatives are often too expensive to produce.
This sustainable dish brush features replaceable bamboo bristles, ensuring infinite reusability. Introduced by NOS, the creators of the successful Everloop Toothbrush, this innovation addresses the mounting plastic waste issue. The brush’s concave lid mechanism doubles as a soap container, while its replaceable bristles, made from natural fibers like bamboo and castor beans, are 100% compostable.
10. Bamboo Packaging
Although phone manufacturers have started removing plastic from their boxes, other products continue to ship packaging with plastic wrap or even plastic containers. Wood isn’t always a better choice for this purpose, but bamboo-based materials can actually help bridge the gaps between plastic, paper, and wood.
Global brands are increasingly prioritizing sustainability, with initiatives ranging from extending product lifecycles to sourcing eco-friendly materials for packaging. Sony, for instance, has launched its sustainability campaign by adopting recycled paper goods and locally sourced annuals for packaging. Their Original Blended Material, made from bamboo, sugarcane, and recycled paper, reduces CO2 emissions compared to traditional packaging materials sourced from mature trees. By sourcing materials locally and promoting sustainable practices, Sony aims to minimize environmental impact while delivering quality products.
This announcement was made as part of a fake holiday called Stranger Things Day. Along with cross-platform support for Stranger Things VR, Netflix formally set a 2025 release date for season five of the show. This will be the final season. The platform dropped another trailer with the names of all of the episodes, so that’s something to look forward to.
As for Stranger Things VR, players take control of season four villain Vecna as he wreaks havoc on the poor citizens of Hawkins. Reviews were fairly middling, but it’s a VR game set in the universe of a mega-popular show. It’s going to move some units on the PS VR2. Even if you don’t end up liking the gameplay, hanging out in VR while listening to that blazing synth soundtrack will be fun.
To further commemorate, gulp, Stranger Things Day, the creative team also released some behind the scenes snapshots that chronicle the filming of the final season. They all look like they are having a grand ole time.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/stranger-things-vr-is-coming-to-ps-vr2-on-december-5-180832394.html?src=rss
When it comes to choosing speakers to adorn your home and play your favorite music in your space, the look or design is not always the priority. The first thing you’re probably looking at is the sound quality (or maybe the cost if you’re working on a tight budget) and how it looks is just an afterthought. There are brands though that have teamed up with designers to make their speakers stand out in the sometimes overly crowded audio market.
Designer: Tom Fereday for Pitt & Giblin
Tasmanian audio brand have teamed up wtih Australian designer Tom Fereday to bring something called the Cast speaker. It has an industrial but aesthetic design, if the look you’re going for is simple but steely. The speaker is mostly made from marine-grade aluminum that not only adds to the acoustic properties of the device but also makes it more durable. This kind of aluminum can combat oxidation and degradation so it can last for a long time without looking so old.
Each speaker is made from four aluminum elements whose casting brings about a soft texture with a certain sheen. This is because the external surfaces are honed and hot waxed. The speaker itself has a complex curve on a circular pattern with a small opening at the center, the only interruption in its cohesive design. The casting is both the cubic framework and the acoustic design for the speaker.
When it comes to quality, the Cast speaker has a Hypex FusionAmp module that is able to power a 10″ subwoofer, four 4″midrange drivers, and a high frequency unit. The Digital Signal Processing is able to re-align the 3-way geometry that powers the unit. It’s a pretty high-end piece of audio equipment so the price is pretty steep. But if the look and the quality is what you’re looking for, you wouldn’t mind spending that much,
Early Black Friday deals are popping up all over the place and there are already some good offers on charging gear. An Anker 3-in-1 foldable magnetic charger, which is primarily designed for Apple devices, has dropped to a record low price. But just how low depends on your preferred colorway.
The white model of the MagGo 3-in-1 is available for $82.49, which is a 25 percent discount. The black version, meanwhile, will run you $88. That’s 20 percent off the list price.
This charger features on our list of the best Apple Watch accessories. It can simultaneously charge your smartwatch, MagSafe-compatible iPhone and, if you have a wireless charging case, AirPods. It's handy when power outlets are at a premium or you want to keep your nightstand or desk as clutter-free as possible.
The MagGo is compact — it's similar in size to Apple's Magic Mouse and weighs 6.9 oz. Anker says it can charge an Apple Watch Series 9 from zero to 47 percent capacity in 30 minutes. The charger comes with a 40W USB-C adapter and a five-foot cable.
You can snap up the MagGo as part of a broader sale on Anker devices. There's another good deal on one of the best power banks around. A 3-in-1 model with a 10,000mAh capacity (enough to fully charge an iPhone 15 nearly twice over) has dropped to $36, but only for Prime members. That's a $9 discount. The charger has a built-in AC plug and USB-C cable.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-deals-include-an-anker-3-in-1-foldable-magnetic-charger-for-a-record-low-price-155939390.html?src=rss
We might take for granted the effect that lighting has in our lives, thinking they’re just there for illumination. Even that aspect, however, can have unintended consequences, such as when the light is too bright, too dim, too cold, or too warm. Suffice it to say that lighting fixtures can affect not only visibility but even ambiance, especially if the light source is always visible.
A pendant light hanging from the ceiling is one such example, and while it might sometimes be nerve-wracking to see them precariously swaying in the wind, they can also be a source of wonder, awe, and even calm. This particular design takes its inspiration from both nature and geometry to create an almost mesmerizing effect when viewing it from different angles.
Rippling water has always been associated with calm, meditation, and Zen. Unlike a gushing river, concentric circles expand at a gentle and uniform pace, creating a hypnotic movement that’s only broken when colliding with another rippling surface. You can’t make light ripple without some sort of liquid or substance, but this pendant light comes close to emulating that effect both in design and in lighting.
The Ripple lamp is composed of concentric hexagons loosely bound together with black fabric cords. When hanging from the ceiling, the pieces separate and drop to create a pyramid form that’s almost like a ziggurat. Because of this “three-dimensional” arrangement, you get a different and unique view when seen from different angles. Of course, from the top, it looks like a rippling pattern, one with hexagons instead of circles.
This composition also affects the light being distributed from the center. Light doesn’t just go down as with normal pendant lamps but also upward, which has the effect of diffusing the lamp’s glare. Naturally, it also casts interesting shadows which add to the mystical effect of the rippling form.
The lamp comes in a flat-pack form, with the eggshell white metal rings taking up less space when collapsed. Its design is simple and minimalist, yet effective in conveying a sense of calm and peace. Even with the light off, the Ripple lamp functions as a decorative piece that gives a unique visual to any room’s atmosphere.
Stardew Valley on mobile just received its latest update, and in it is a new secret multiplayer mode. Developer ConcernedApe says it’s currently secret because of its experimental nature, and mobile multiplayer can be “frustrating.”
Unlike Stardew Valley multiplayer on other platforms, players on mobile can’t discover others’ farms and can only connect via IP address. They can still join a PC-hosted farm using their mobile devices. The developers also warn that using a mobile network isn’t recommended, as it may not be stable enough. The experience works best when both devices are on the same network, but that’s not compulsory.
ConcernedApe
To unlock mobile multiplayer, you’ll have to tap the leaves in a specific order. It’s actually part of the Konami code, but without the A and B buttons because, well, smartphones and tablets don’t have them. The Stardew Valleymultiplayer blog has instructions if you’re interested.
Once you see the new co-op menu on the screen, you can host or join a farm. You’ll need an IP address if you want to join someone’s farm, but that isn’t difficult to find on your mobile device. The Stardew Valley post also has instructions for that for both iOS and Android users.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/stardew-valley-now-has-a-secret-multiplayer-mode-on-mobile-150956438.html?src=rss
