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In Abbey Road’s Studio One, even a lick of paint could ruin everything. Famous for hosting Adele, Harry Styles, and U2, it’s where the scores of Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Wicked were recorded, as well as the soundtracks of blockbuster games like Call of Duty, Halo, and Final Fantasy. It’s also where Ryan Gosling delivered his memorable “I’m Just Ken” for Barbie. Nearly a century after its opening, Studio One underwent a six-month, multimillion-pound refurbishment, with the main priority being the preservation of one very important thing: the sound. “What we don’t want to do is change the acoustics, so every minute detail in the room has been conserved and preserved, so the sound doesn’t shift,” said Sally Davies, managing director of Abbey Road Studios. The reverb of the 4,844-square-foot room has been maintained at 2.3 seconds, the same as it was in the 1970s. There’s been no redecorating or style makeover, leaving the original art deco wall panels untouched. “We have simply washed down the walls to preserve that sound,” said Davies, adding that the floor was re-sanded and oiled, but not varnished. Most of the upgrades, she explained, are technological upgrades in the control room. “This room is just about preserving that magic.” A pilgrimage for music fans Opened in 1931, this hallowed hall—once a nine-bedroom house on a grand suburban street in London’s St. John’s Wood neighborhood—became the world’s first recording studio. It’s where stereo was invented and it’s visited every day by music fans from around the world, who are happy just to stand on the street outside. Davies says that more than a million people a year make a pilgrimage to the crossing outside, many to recreate the cover of the Beatles’ Abbey Road album—and that number could increase after Sam Mendes’s upcoming biopics starring Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, Harris Dickinson, and Joseph Quinn as the Fab Four. And while John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are famously known for using Studio Two, they also made history in the larger Studio One, which they used for the world’s first global live performance, a rendition of “All You Need Is Love” beamed to television sets around the world in 1967. Before the Beatles, Studio One had already cemented its place in music history, when it was opened by British composer Sir Edward Elgar, who recorded his “Land of Hope and Glory” with the London Symphony Orchestra. It’s also hosted other music greats like Maria Callas, Igor Stravinsky, Daniel Barenboim, Fats Waller, and Glenn Miller. Due to its huge size, more than double Studio Two, it can fit a 100-piece orchestra and 100-member choir at the same time—which is perfect for recording film soundtracks, and explains why 6 to 7 out of every 10 Hollywood films are scored at Abbey Road, according to the studio. History being made Standing on the balcony, overlooking the 40-foot-high room, Davies points out the original screen that was used to show Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) while musicians played along to record the soundtrack. Since then, everything from The Lord of the Rings trilogy to Marvel’s Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy to Barbie were scored in Studio One. For the last, all the musicians came in with something pink, whether a pink instrument or piece of clothing. Oscar-nominated composer Daniel Pemberton has been recording in Studio One since 2009 and calls his “creative home” a “spectacular space.” “Outside, it just looks like a normal house. And then you come in and you find this space in it that’s like almost the size of a football pitch. In fact, I have played football in there once,” he laughs. Pemberton is known for scoring Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse, Ferrari, and The Trial of the Chicago 7, and creating the Slow Horses theme song and “Strange Game,” with Mick Jagger. “What’s so exciting about a room like Studio One is what happens on the day is what happens for the rest of time,” he says. “It’s like history is being made, whether it’s good history or bad history or whatever, you’re making a moment then.” Pemberton notes the stories, whether personal or musical, that have unfolded within the walls of Studio One. “The ghosts are insane in there,” he said. Davies agrees that the history adds to the enchantment. “You walk into this room and you can feel it. . . . There is a magic in the sound. It sounds phenomenal. There is a spirituality in who has been here, who has performed here,” she says. “So when we see artists come through, you know that immediate reaction of, ‘Oh my gosh. I’m in Studio One.’” To celebrate the reopening this week, Abbey Road Studios showcased an unusual art form for the space: dance, which incorporated Pemberton’s scores, remixed by resident artist Jordan Rakei and choreographed by Joseph Toonga. “It kind of like threw me back a bit like, wow, it really is big,” said Toonga of the first time he saw the studio. He then incorporated that feeling into a dance which spanned hip-hop, krumping, and ballet. Up next, the first client to record in Studio One since the refurbishment is a hush-hush Hollywood franchise. But there are lots of secrets at Abbey Road. One of them is Pemberton’s plan to record the unique rattling sound of the new railings for a movie soundtrack. There was concern that the hollow, art deco-style bars would upset the acoustics of the room, and a backup plan was made to fill them with sand if they messed with the reverb. Luckily, the empty bars were allowed to stay because Pemberton is delighted by the noise they make when you run past them with keys—it’s another dramatic sound that can only be created in Studio One and will make its way into theaters around the world, via a film score. —By Hilary Fox, Associated Press View the full article

Walton Goggins has had an incredible run recently. Last year, he anchored Amazon’s Fallout TV show and this year is starring in Season 3 of The White Lotus and the 4th and final season of The Righteous Gemstones. These roles are feathers in the cap of the character actor who’s had star turns in The Shield, Justified, and Vice Principals. But he’s not just an actor—he’s also a small business owner. As part of his partnership with GoDaddy, he’s teamed up with the company to use its suite of AI tools to design the website for and manage his new venture—Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses. He worked with GoDaddy to create the line of glasses that resemble ski goggles and retail for $150 each, and he starred in the company’s Super Bowl ad in February. The spot highlights Airo—GoDaddy’s suite of AI-powered tools that help small business owners with everything from website creation and copywriting to inventory management. In the latest episode of the Most Innovative Companies podcast, Goggins and GoDaddy CEO Aman Bhutani talked with host Yasmin Gagne about how the company helps small businesses use AI to grow. And after a bit of prodding, Goggins offered some hints about the last episode of The White Lotus Sunday night. In 2020, you said to Garden and Gun, speaking about your whiskey brand, Mulholland Distilling: “Well, I’m not going to sell toothpaste. I’m not really good at selling anything.” I would argue you’re pretty good at selling things. Why partner with GoDaddy? Walton Goggins: I’m a big believer in small business owners and what they do for their families and for communities. The opportunity arose when GoDaddy was looking to promote its product GoDaddy Airo. They approached me about starting a business, asking me if there’s something that I really wanted to do. I wanted to work with this company, which I’ve been a fan of for a very long time. In the past, they hosted a website for Mulholland Distilling. Part of our portfolio was already in GoDaddy when we started, so when the opportunity arose to work, I just jumped at it. Why did you decide to partner with Walton for the Super Bowl ad? Aman Bhutani: Our mission is to make opportunity more inclusive for all, and we want somebody who feels it themselves and who cares. And Walton, from the first moment we met him, cared. The glasses are awesome. What is the brand identity you’re trying to build for GoDaddy? I remember some pretty sexual ads back in the day. AB: When people think about small business, they’re sometimes talking about people that have 50 employees or 30 employees. If you go through GoDaddy’s over-20-million customer base, you’ll start with companies that have one employee. By the time you get to 10, you will have traversed 90% of our customers. They want to connect with somebody like Walton who is doing what they are doing. He’s starting a business, and it doesn’t matter how big a celebrity he is or how successful he is, it’s still hard for him to start a business. Every person watching the Super Bowl ad feels like an imposter when they start their business. The ad makes people see themselves in him. Walton, tell me about the concept of the glasses and how you built the business with GoDaddy. WG: I wear the most fashion-forward accessory you can put on the body. I’ve been collecting sunglasses for a very long time, for upwards of 28 years. I bought my first pair of sunglasses that were of real value when I was 22 years old. I saved up my money with tips. I had a valet parking business because I refused to wait tables—I was not the kind of guy that would ever get someone a glass of iced tea. I saved up my tips to buy this pair of Oliver Peoples sunglasses. They cost $250 in 1993. It was a lot of money to me. I still own that pair of sunglasses. There was a time when I was sitting in this new place where I moved with my family. We have a little ski resort not too far from our home. I was sitting around a fire, having a beer, and with ski goggles on, thinking, “I don’t want to take these off!” I made that mental note, and this just stayed in the back of my mind. No one’s really done this in a functional way that also brought fashion into the conversation. I pitched GoDaddy this idea. GoDaddy Airo does the things I don’t know how to do—to build a website, to procure all of these domain names, to regulate your inventory. Once they began to show me this product, I was blown away thinking, had this existed when I was 19 years old and I had my first business, I probably wouldn’t be an actor right now. What was your first business when you were 19? WG: The first thing I did was valet parking. The second thing I did was become a personal trainer. That’s how you got the abs. WG: Yeah, that’s exactly right. But if I’d had a website then, I would’ve had more clients. However, it did allow me to sustain myself as an artist and work only 10 or 15 hours a week. Then I started a whiskey spirits brand, Mulholland Distilling, and now, Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses. The name, Goggins Goggle Glasses: Is that a play on your character, Uncle Baby Billy, from The Righteous Gemstones and his show, Baby Billy’s Bible Bonkers? WG: Of course. It just kind of makes sense. And it was already out in the public. It just rolls off the tongue. How does Airo work with small businesses? AB: Many micro business owners or small business owners are good at what they know, but they’re not good at technology, building websites, or purchasing domain names. Instead of needing to know the domain name you want, you just describe your business, and Airo looks at millions and millions of available domains and gives five or 10 that people would remember. As soon as you buy that domain, it builds out a one-page website for you. You don’t have to pay anything for that. You can customize it a little bit. So within a few minutes, you’ve got a presence online. People can find you, you can post it to social media, and people now know who you are. You have branding; Airo can create a logo for you in a few seconds. Airo can create a social calendar for you, create posts, and upload them. Once they have a website, once [they have] inventory online and they start to use the tools, their reach increases exponentially. At what point did Generative AI change things for you? AB: Airo uses the power of Generative AI to create content. Airo does three big things: It automates a lot of tasks so our customer doesn’t have to do it. It generates content using Generative AI. Our customer might say, “How do I respond to my customer?” Well, Airo will generate a message for them, and then they just have to say, “Yes, send it.” What portion of the GoDaddy business is Airo leading? AB: We’re a decent-size business and we talk to [Wall Street] about Airo all the time. But I’m always talking about why Airo is first and foremost about discovery and engagement. The monetization should come over time. We’ve had Airo for about 14 months. The first cohort of customers are just finishing their first year, and we’re seeing high retention rates because the customer is discovering and engaging with multiple products. Walton, what’s been the most useful feature for your business? WG: I’ve used them all, right? I like writing copy. I like writing texts and emails. But when it comes to communicating with an audience that you’re trying to reach for a product, it’s hard to formulate those thoughts in a vacuum. There’s also an element to this experience that allows you to capture some images and then repurpose those images. All of a sudden, that social pressure of producing things that are outside of your product is taken off the table for you. You don’t have to think about it. How did you all come up with the concept for the Super Bowl ad? AB: GoDaddy hadn’t been in the Super Bowl for eight years. We really wanted to come back and remind the world that GoDaddy is so much more than what they might remember; so many folks remember GoDaddy as a domains company, but we do so much more. What was your creative input in that ad? WG: We talked about different scenarios and what’s the best way to explain the fact that many small business owners can feel like imposters and how can we mine comedy but then land it someplace that is real and that can move you. Can you tell us what happens in The White Lotus finale? WG: I’ll give you a fake ending. Everyone on The White Lotus dies, everyone. Including the staff. It’s food poisoning. Not from the Four Seasons, mind you. It’s nothing to do with our corporate sponsors. It’s from a delivery, an off-site delivery. Somebody ordered some bad pizza. How did you prepare for the Super Bowl commercial? WG: I eat one meal a day, and I may augment that with a couple boiled eggs for lunch or something like that. I like being lean, not just lean physically, but mentally. I like being a little hungry. I feel more creative when I have an appetite. And we’ve seen you in so many shirtless photo shoots lately. I can’t believe you didn’t take your shirt off in this GoDaddy ad. WG: Yes. There’s more to come, I’m afraid. I’m so sorry. My apologies now. View the full article

Over the past few years, experts have been sounding the alarm over how much time Americans spend alone. Statistics show that we’re choosing to be solitary for more of our waking hours than ever before, tucked away at home rather than mingling in public. Increasing numbers of us are dining alone and traveling solo, and rates of living alone have nearly doubled in the past 50 years. These trends coincided with the surgeon general’s 2023 declaration of a loneliness epidemic, leading to recent claims that the U.S. is living in an “anti-social century.” Loneliness and isolation are indeed social problems that warrant serious attention, especially since chronic states of loneliness are linked with poor outcomes such as depression and a shortened life span. But there is another side to this story, one that deserves a closer look. For some people, the shift toward aloneness represents a desire for what researchers call “positive solitude,” a state that is associated with well-being, not loneliness. As a psychologist, I’ve spent the past decade researching why people like to be alone—and spending a fair amount of time there myself—so I’m deeply familiar with the joys of solitude. My findings join a host of others that have documented a long list of benefits gained when we choose to spend time by ourselves, ranging from opportunities to recharge our batteries and experience personal growth to making time to connect with our emotions and our creativity. So it makes sense to me why people live alone as soon as their financial circumstances allow, and when asked why they prefer to dine solo, people say simply, “I want more me time.” It’s also why I’m not surprised that a 2024 national survey found that 56% of Americans considered alone time essential for their mental health. Or that Costco is now selling “solitude sheds” where for around $2,000 you can buy yourself some peace and quiet. It’s clear there is a desire, and a market, for solitude right now in American culture. But why does this side of the story often get lost amid the warnings about social isolation? I suspect it has to do with a collective anxiety about being alone. The stigma of solitude This anxiety stems in large part from our culture’s deficit view of solitude. In this type of thinking, the desire to be alone is seen as unnatural and unhealthy, something to be pitied or feared rather than valued or encouraged. This isn’t just my own observation. A study published in February 2025 found that U.S. news headlines are 10 times more likely to frame being alone negatively than positively. This type of bias shapes people’s beliefs, with studies showing that adults and children alike have clear judgments about when it is—and, importantly, when it is not—acceptable for their peers to be alone. This makes sense given that American culture holds up extroversion as the ideal, indeed as the basis for what’s normal. The hallmarks of extraversion include being sociable and assertive, as well as expressing more positive emotions and seeking more stimulation than the opposite personality—the more reserved and risk-averse introverts. Even though not all Americans are extroverts, most of us have been conditioned to cultivate that trait, and those who do reap social and professional rewards. In this cultural milieu, preferring to be alone carries stigma. But the desire for solitude is not pathological, and it’s not just for introverts. Nor does it automatically spell social isolation and a lonely life. In fact, the data doesn’t fully support current fears of a loneliness epidemic, something scholars and journalists have recently acknowledged. In other words, although Americans are indeed spending more time alone than previous generations did, it’s not clear that we are actually getting lonelier. And despite our fears for the eldest members of our society, research shows that older adults are happier in solitude than the loneliness narrative would lead us to believe. Social media disrupts our solitude However, solitude’s benefits don’t automatically appear whenever we take a break from the social world. They arrive when we are truly alone—when we intentionally carve out the time and space to connect with ourselves—not when we are alone on our devices. My research has found that solitude’s positive effects on well-being are far less likely to materialize if the majority of our alone time is spent staring at our screens, especially when we’re passively scrolling social media. This is where I believe the collective anxiety is well placed, especially the focus on young adults who are increasingly forgoing face-to-face social interaction in favor of a virtual life, and who may face significant distress as a result. Social media is by definition social. It’s in the name. We cannot be truly alone when we’re on it. What’s more, it’s not the type of nourishing “me time” I suspect many people are longing for. True solitude turns attention inward. It’s a time to slow down and reflect. A time to do as we please, not to please anyone else. A time to be emotionally available to ourselves, rather than to others. When we spend our solitude in these ways, the benefits accrue: We feel rested and rejuvenated, we gain clarity and emotional balance, we feel freer and more connected to ourselves. But if we’re addicted to being busy, it can be hard to slow down. If we’re used to looking at a screen, it can be scary to look inside. And if we don’t have the skills to validate being alone as a normal and healthy human need, then we waste our alone time feeling guilty, weird, or selfish. The importance of reframing solitude Americans choosing to spend more time alone is indeed a challenge to the cultural script, and the stigmatization of solitude can be difficult to change. Nevertheless, a small but growing body of research indicates that it is possible, and effective, to reframe the way we think about solitude. For example, viewing solitude as a beneficial experience rather than a lonely one has been shown to help alleviate negative feelings about being alone, even for the participants who were severely lonely. People who perceive their time alone as “full” rather than “empty” are more likely to experience their alone time as meaningful, using it for growth-oriented purposes such as self-reflection or spiritual connection. Even something as simple as a linguistic shift—replacing “isolation” with “me time”—causes people to view their alone time more positively and likely affects how their friends and family view it as well. It is true that if we don’t have a community of close relationships to return to after being alone, solitude can lead to social isolation. But it’s also true that too much social interaction is taxing, and such overload negatively affects the quality of our relationships. The country’s recent gravitational pull toward more alone time may partially reflect a desire for more balance in a life that is too busy, too scheduled, and, yes, too social. Just as connection with others is essential for our well-being, so is connection with ourselves. Virginia Thomas is an assistant professor of psychology at Middlebury. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Smartphone cameras are still getting bigger and better by the year, particularly if you look at high-end phones coming out of China with huge sensors and protruding bumps to match. These phones can deliver awesome results, and I’m happy to use them in several situations where I would previously have had to rely on a dedicated camera. Just this week I used the Xiaomi 15 Ultra to shoot a Formula One event in Tokyo. But for all the advances that have been made, the laws of physics remain undefeated, and you’re still going to get better results from a camera setup that’s able to make use of larger lenses and sensors. Phones do need to be able to fit into our pockets, after all, so there’s a limit to what can be achieved in that regard. At Mobile World Congress this year, some concept announcements showed that companies are thinking about this reality, coming up with ideas to move mobile photography beyond the constraints of the phone. The question is whether peripheral camera products can ever really be more than a niche curiosity. Xiaomi’s concept is called the Modular Optical System, and it involves self-contained camera modules that magnetically and wirelessly attach to your phone. While the company doesn’t have concrete plans to sell them commercially, working models do exist — I used one. The demonstration unit had a Micro Four Thirds-size sensor with a 17.5mm f/1.4 lens, which comes out to 35mm-equivalent when accounting for the sensor’s crop factor. It could attach to a Xiaomi 15 phone that had been outfitted with magnets and a window for laser data transfer but otherwise looked normal. The connection felt very secure, and there wasn’t any need to fiddle with Bluetooth pairing or any special software — once connected, the feed from the camera simply appears in the regular camera app. You can focus the lens by turning its ring or tapping the phone’s screen. Because the camera mounts to the middle of the phone, the resulting combination feels well-balanced and similar to a regular mirrorless camera. It did make me wish the phone had a dedicated shutter button on the edge, though; using the touchscreen with your hands in that position takes some getting used to. The results, at least as far as I could tell on the phone screen, were excellent. Micro Four Thirds is one of the smaller mirrorless formats, but it’s still a huge leap over even the 1-inch sensors found in the highest end phone cameras, and pairing one with a fast 35mm-equivalent lens makes for a really useful combination. I was taking pictures of friends in a dark restaurant that clearly could not have been captured on a phone. Realme, a sister brand to Oppo, took another approach. Its “Ultra” concept phone has a couple of traditional smartphone cameras as well as a third 1-inch sensor that’s exposed behind the glass; you can attach a Leica M-mount adapter and a lens of your choice to use with that sensor. This feels somewhat less useful in practice. There’s no electrical connection between the lens and the phone, so adjusting the aperture ring isn’t going to be reflected in software; the experience is more like adapting a manual lens to a digital camera. M-mount lenses are all manual focus, however, so there isn’t a need for anything like the touchscreen AF solution like Xiaomi came up with. But the sensor’s 2.7x crop factor means that actual Leica M lenses will have a zoomed-in field of view — even a wide-angle 28mm becomes a 75mm-equivalent portrait lens. These aren’t necessarily new ideas. Realme’s is very similar to a Leica M-mount concept Xiaomi put out a few years ago, while Xiaomi’s own idea of wireless camera modules has been tried before. And Sony made a go of it in 2013 with the quirky QX line, a range of all-in-one cameras that connected over Wi-Fi and clipped onto the back of your phone; one model even featured an APS-C sensor and could work with any E-mount mirrorless lens. Olympus tried something similar in 2014 with the Air A01, a wireless Micro Four Thirds sensor and mount. There have been two big problems with these kinds of products in the past. The first was that they were a hassle to use, forcing you to deal with attachment mechanisms, wireless pairing, and slow connectivity. The appeal of mobile photography is its convenience, and these detracted from that. The second, arguably bigger hurdle is simply that they were separate devices that you had to carry alongside your phone. That’s a big ask for most people. Sony’s QX100 had the same sensor and lens as its excellent RX100 compact camera, but it cost almost as much — why not just carry the actual camera instead? Sony discontinued the QX line pretty quickly, suggesting it didn’t take off with consumers. Things could be different today — Xiaomi’s magnetic mount solution is certainly more convenient — but it’s still hard to see the idea becoming mainstream. Personally, I would be interested in buying something like the Xiaomi concept I used. I’d still have several questions, like how much it’d cost and how long the magnetic mount would be supported on future handsets, but even in prototype form the idea worked well enough that I could see the extra lens being worth tossing into a tote bag. But for most people, my sense is that it will still be worth paying more attention to built-in phone camera quality for the foreseeable future. That’s the camera you’ll actually find yourself using. View the full article

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The Kansas Department of Commerce has introduced a new grant program aimed at enhancing the appearance and economic appeal of downtown districts across the state. The Supporting Innovative Growth through New Signage (SIGNS) grant, launched today, will provide $250,000 in total funding to support high-quality, creative signage projects for retail and commercial businesses. The SIGNS grant is open to a wide range of applicants, including businesses, building owners, municipalities, Main Street organizations, economic development groups, chambers of commerce, foundations, tribal organizations, and other nonprofit community entities. Funding awards will range from $1,000 to $50,000, with a cash match required based on the size of the community: Communities with populations between 2,500 and 50,000 must provide a 50% match. Communities with fewer than 2,500 residents must provide a 25% match. To maintain the historic charm of Kansas downtowns, projects must follow the Kansas Commerce Sign Guidelines. Priority will be given to proposals featuring three-dimensional signage and those that use Kansas-based businesses for design and installation. Grant funds can be used for various aspects of signage projects, including design, purchase, lighting, and installation. To qualify, applications must propose improvements for a minimum of three signs, ideally supporting multiple buildings or businesses within a downtown area. Projects must comply with all state and local regulations, and signage must be completed within six months of grant approval. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a monthly, first-come, first-served basis until all funds are allocated. For more information about the SIGNS grant, applicants are encouraged to contact Quality Places Manager Sara Bloom at Sara.Bloom@ks.gov or (785) 506-9278. Image: Canva This article, "Kansas Launches SIGNS Grant to Revitalize Downtown Business Districts" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The Kansas Department of Commerce has introduced a new grant program aimed at enhancing the appearance and economic appeal of downtown districts across the state. The Supporting Innovative Growth through New Signage (SIGNS) grant, launched today, will provide $250,000 in total funding to support high-quality, creative signage projects for retail and commercial businesses. The SIGNS grant is open to a wide range of applicants, including businesses, building owners, municipalities, Main Street organizations, economic development groups, chambers of commerce, foundations, tribal organizations, and other nonprofit community entities. Funding awards will range from $1,000 to $50,000, with a cash match required based on the size of the community: Communities with populations between 2,500 and 50,000 must provide a 50% match. Communities with fewer than 2,500 residents must provide a 25% match. To maintain the historic charm of Kansas downtowns, projects must follow the Kansas Commerce Sign Guidelines. Priority will be given to proposals featuring three-dimensional signage and those that use Kansas-based businesses for design and installation. Grant funds can be used for various aspects of signage projects, including design, purchase, lighting, and installation. To qualify, applications must propose improvements for a minimum of three signs, ideally supporting multiple buildings or businesses within a downtown area. Projects must comply with all state and local regulations, and signage must be completed within six months of grant approval. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a monthly, first-come, first-served basis until all funds are allocated. For more information about the SIGNS grant, applicants are encouraged to contact Quality Places Manager Sara Bloom at Sara.Bloom@ks.gov or (785) 506-9278. Image: Canva This article, "Kansas Launches SIGNS Grant to Revitalize Downtown Business Districts" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The City of Raleigh has opened the fourth and final application window for its 2024–2025 Building Up-fit Grant program. The current cycle began on Thursday, April 3, and runs through Sunday, April 27. Award notifications are expected by Friday, May 16. The Building Up-fit Grant is a matching reimbursement initiative that assists small business owners with interior improvements to commercial properties within Raleigh city limits. Designed to promote job creation, economic development, and the revitalization of underused spaces, the grant matches up to 50 percent of qualified construction costs. Projects must include capital improvements and a change in use to qualify. Applicants must be small business owners with 49 or fewer employees and must occupy the space being upgraded, either through ownership or a lease agreement of at least three years. Franchises, residential properties, and businesses located outside Raleigh are not eligible. Eligibility and Application Process To begin the process, potential applicants must first complete a preliminary form to determine eligibility. City staff will contact eligible applicants via email to provide a formal application. Only applications submitted during the active grant window will be considered. Projects that qualify for funding include upgrades to HVAC, electrical systems, lighting, plumbing, interior construction, restrooms, flooring, and structural modifications. Accessibility improvements, energy efficiency upgrades, and other work that meets code requirements may also be eligible. Grant funds are awarded after project completion and require submission of paid invoices and receipts. All projects must require permits and must not begin prior to grant approval. Certain types of work do not qualify, including like-for-like equipment replacements, simple redecorating, signage, exterior improvements, and the purchase of personal or retail items not tied to the construction project. Ineligible projects also include work that does not constitute a change of use or add significant value to the property. Examples of eligible changes include converting vacant buildings into active office spaces, transforming old warehouses into restaurants, or modifying empty retail space for specialty manufacturing. Projects that activate adjacent vacant areas or expand a current commercial use to include higher-value activities may also qualify. Grant Limits and Restrictions Only two grants are permitted per commercial property within a single calendar year. Business owners may receive only one grant within a three-year period. Business owners who were previously denied funding are eligible to reapply in future cycles. The program prioritizes projects within designated Priority Areas for Economic Development. Businesses in these zones may qualify for enhanced funding terms and amounts. For businesses seeking additional exterior upgrades, Raleigh offers a separate Facade Rehabilitation Grant that can sometimes be paired with the Building Up-fit Grant, depending on the project and location. More Information Full eligibility requirements, program brochures, and FAQs are available through the City of Raleigh’s website. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to review these resources before applying. This article, "Raleigh Opens Application Window for Building Up-fit Grant Program" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The City of Raleigh has opened the fourth and final application window for its 2024–2025 Building Up-fit Grant program. The current cycle began on Thursday, April 3, and runs through Sunday, April 27. Award notifications are expected by Friday, May 16. The Building Up-fit Grant is a matching reimbursement initiative that assists small business owners with interior improvements to commercial properties within Raleigh city limits. Designed to promote job creation, economic development, and the revitalization of underused spaces, the grant matches up to 50 percent of qualified construction costs. Projects must include capital improvements and a change in use to qualify. Applicants must be small business owners with 49 or fewer employees and must occupy the space being upgraded, either through ownership or a lease agreement of at least three years. Franchises, residential properties, and businesses located outside Raleigh are not eligible. Eligibility and Application Process To begin the process, potential applicants must first complete a preliminary form to determine eligibility. City staff will contact eligible applicants via email to provide a formal application. Only applications submitted during the active grant window will be considered. Projects that qualify for funding include upgrades to HVAC, electrical systems, lighting, plumbing, interior construction, restrooms, flooring, and structural modifications. Accessibility improvements, energy efficiency upgrades, and other work that meets code requirements may also be eligible. Grant funds are awarded after project completion and require submission of paid invoices and receipts. All projects must require permits and must not begin prior to grant approval. Certain types of work do not qualify, including like-for-like equipment replacements, simple redecorating, signage, exterior improvements, and the purchase of personal or retail items not tied to the construction project. Ineligible projects also include work that does not constitute a change of use or add significant value to the property. Examples of eligible changes include converting vacant buildings into active office spaces, transforming old warehouses into restaurants, or modifying empty retail space for specialty manufacturing. Projects that activate adjacent vacant areas or expand a current commercial use to include higher-value activities may also qualify. Grant Limits and Restrictions Only two grants are permitted per commercial property within a single calendar year. Business owners may receive only one grant within a three-year period. Business owners who were previously denied funding are eligible to reapply in future cycles. The program prioritizes projects within designated Priority Areas for Economic Development. Businesses in these zones may qualify for enhanced funding terms and amounts. For businesses seeking additional exterior upgrades, Raleigh offers a separate Facade Rehabilitation Grant that can sometimes be paired with the Building Up-fit Grant, depending on the project and location. More Information Full eligibility requirements, program brochures, and FAQs are available through the City of Raleigh’s website. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to review these resources before applying. This article, "Raleigh Opens Application Window for Building Up-fit Grant Program" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

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Of all the modern parenting paradoxes, navigating screen time usage might be one of the most complex—and divisive. Critics of screen time claim it can negatively impact social skills, behavior, and sleep. Proponents say it can help kids learn about living in a digital world, improve cultural awareness, and serve as a means of communication. Parents say sometimes they just need a break. The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the messy middle of it all; like so many aspects of parenting, it’s all about finding the balance that’s right for you and your child(ren). Screen time is just one of many topics explored in Poems of Parenting, a new collection of poetry out April 8 from author and artist Loryn Brantz, a consulting creative director for the beloved kids’ educational program Ms. Rachel who has won two Emmy Awards for her work on Sesame Street. The mom of two children (one of whom has a disability) offers short, snappy, honest, and often irreverent reflections on everything from trimming tiny fingernails to watching war and famine play out on TV. It’s exactly the type of content moms need in today’s world. So what about screen time? Here, Brantz shares some insight behind her poem on it—plus, an important and powerful reminder that applies to many aspects of parenthood. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. You’ve worked on two beloved kids’ shows and you’ve struggled with navigating screen time for your own kids. What insights can you offer parents trying to find the right balance? It comes down to what works best for your family. I would never say, “This or that is the ‘right’ thing to do,” because it never accounts for kids with disabilities who may rely more on screen time than others for various reasons. That said, I believe there is such a thing as quality screen time, and I would encourage people to be cognizant of what they put on. Also, when possible, co-watching together, asking questions, or interacting while watching the show is ideal. In our household, there was a lot of pressure to pack in as much early intervention therapy as we could during the first years of my daughter’s life because of all her developmental delays, so we were very strict with screen time. She was only allowed an hour or so per day in tandem with physical therapy, or as much as needed to distract from medical treatments. It was as stressful as it sounds. Now she’s older (and doing amazingly), and her neurotypical little-potato brother watches with her, and we’re not worried about it at all. Sometimes, after a long day of work and school, spending time on the couch cuddling and watching a movie can be the best thing for everyone. I often think, Wow, I can’t believe I popped these sweet little people out of my body, and now they’re watching TV with me! Life is pretty magical, isn’t it? Every kid is different, and every kid’s needs are different. How has your work in kids’ educational programming influenced your own parenting style and strategies? When I was working on Sesame Street at the Jim Henson Co., it was well before I had my own children and I was mostly tapping into my own inner child as far as things I enjoy including The Muppets, Disney World, and picture books. I was making what I enjoy. I figured that’s also what a kid would enjoy, too. Nowadays, with my work for Ms. Rachel, I have learned an extraordinary amount about childhood development, not only from the show but through my own experience with early intervention (EI) for my daughter. EI works best when the parent takes on what they learn during sessions and incorporates it into their children’s day-to-day lives. I more or less became a full-time speech, occupational, physical, and special-instruction therapist for the first three years of her life. So now, my work comes from not only a place of genuinely enjoying children’s media, but also thinking about what I would want my own children—and really, all children—to be watching. Children’s media is so important and needs to be treated as such. You’ve said you feel like you’ve been working toward Poems of Parenting your whole life. It’s been quite a journey. This will essentially be my 12th book. So many things set it apart. For one, it’s the first book that feels like it has a real energy behind it from readers. When I started writing these poems, I immediately began getting messages like, “When is the book coming out?” or “Will you be making a book?” And I was just blown away because no one had ever asked me for a book before. It’s just a dream come true. . . . After over a decade of pushing and pushing to get books made and in front of people, having people come to me asking for a book is a real pinch-me moment. After starting this book, I also decided it was finally time to take the leap to being a full-time artist and writer, primarily for my own projects—which has been a lifelong goal. Read more with Loryn Brantz on Two Truths. View the full article

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Kodiak Brush doesn’t mince words when it comes to the state of football helmet design. “Most helmets today are designed to win lab tests, not protect players on the field,” he tells me over email. Brush, an MIT-trained mechanical engineer and former middle linebacker, is a production engineering manager who leads helmet design at Carlsbad, California-based Light Helmets. His latest creation is the Apache helmet, which, at just 3.5 pounds, is the lightest on the market—and yet it has achieved the highest safety score ever recorded by Virginia Tech’s independent helmet testing lab. The Apache is a direct challenge to decades of conventional wisdom about what makes a football helmet safe. It’s not just lighter, Brush claims, it’s smarter—leveraging advanced materials, 3D printing, and a player-first philosophy that prioritizes real-world performance over outdated assumptions. And, while the number of total concussions in the NFL decreased 17% in 2024, there’s still a lot of work to be done. Brush’s journey to revolutionize helmet design connects directly with his very core. As a middle linebacker at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he was never the biggest or fastest player on the field, he tells me. “I would very rarely get out-leveraged. One of my favorite things to do was meet a pulling guard in the gap, put him on the ground, and ask him, ‘How are you going to let a little guy like me do that to you?’” His helmet was an extension of his body—a tool he relied on for protection and performance. But it wasn’t perfect. “The pain points I had with helmets are personal,” he says. After graduating from MIT and working in accident reconstruction and product design, Brush joined Light Helmets with a mission to create a helmet that addressed those pain points while pushing the boundaries of safety technology. The weight myth The Apache’s most striking feature is its weight—or lack thereof. At 3.5 pounds, it’s up to 40% lighter than many competing helmets. This isn’t just about comfort; it’s about physics. “Lower helmet mass means less energy that needs to be mitigated,” Brush says. “It also reduces neck fatigue, allowing players to control their heads better and for longer.” While people think SUVs beat sedans in crashes, he tells me, your head isn’t a car. It’s 10% of your body mass, tethered by a neck that must stay engaged. So adding weight to it is never a good idea. Less is better. This philosophy runs counter to an industry trend of adding weight to helmets to improve performance in lab tests. Standardized testing protocols like those used by Virginia Tech and the NFL involve striking static head forms with pendulums or pneumatic rams. Heavier helmets tend to score better in these tests because they absorb more energy due to their mass. “[It’s] lab test gaming,” he tells me. But on the field, where players are dynamic rather than static, heavier helmets can do more harm than good. “Increased helmet mass leads to higher energy impacts,” Brush says. “It makes the game less safe for everyone.” How it works Aesthetically, the helmet looks familiar, but certain details make it very different from its typical predecessor. It appears much leaner, and its lines are reminiscent of a trial bike helmet—more aggressive and angled. It also offers a wider field of view. The front of traditional helmets tends to be small and make players feel boxed-in, as if they’re medieval soldiers on the battlefield, but the Apache front is surprisingly open and airy. This is the result of the shock-absorption technologies Brush used. First, there is its flexible outer shell, made from impact-modified nylon, a material more commonly found in racing helmets than football gear. Unlike traditional rigid shells, it flexes on impact, spreading forces across a larger area and reducing pressure peaks on the skull by nearly 20%. Inside the shell there is a 3D-printed liner, a thermoplastic polyurethane network of many cylindrical pods with variable stiffness. This means they buckle under impact to absorb energy before returning to their original shape. This design dissipates energy more efficiently than traditional foam liners, which compress linearly and struggle to recover after heavy impacts. It was developed with K3D, a 3D design and printing technology developed by Kollide, a company that develops impact-resistance technologies through 3D printing “to protect humans in motion.” Light Helmets simulated thousands of impact scenarios using K3D and rapidly iterated designs in ways that traditional manufacturing can’t match. “We broke 47 prototypes before we got the liner’s buckling pattern right,” Brush says. “But every failure taught us something new.” The company claims that its titanium alloy mask—which is available only for professional teams at this point—allows it to shave about 40% of the weight of a comparable traditional face mask, which is usually made with steel. And yet, it has the same hardness and durability of steel. The helmet comes in two models: the Apache, designed for NFL and college football teams, and the Apache Lightning, designed for youth programs. The key difference between the models is in the interior liner material. The 3.5-pound Apache uses impact-absorbing TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), a durable material that’s engineered to absorb impacts and return to its original state after shocks, maintaining flexibility through time, Light Helmets says. The Apache Lightning uses EPP (expanded polypropylene) foam, an aerospace-grade material known for its ability to efficiently dissipate impact energy, the company claims. It’s also lighter, configurable to less than 3 pounds. All the helmets can be custom made, allowing players to choose colors and different mask designs. The Apache is priced from $649 to $849; the Lightning variant sells for $449 to $649. Testing realities Despite its lightweight design—which Brush admits puts it at a disadvantage in standardized testing—the Apache scored an unprecedented 0.46 on Virginia Tech’s STAR rating system (lower scores indicate better performance). The testing protocol involves striking helmets at multiple locations and speeds with a pendulum system, then calculating a severity score based on how likely those impacts would result in traumatic brain injuries. “Virginia Tech has become the ‘Consumer Reports’ of helmet testing,” Brush says. “Their public results drive innovation by holding manufacturers accountable.” Still, he believes there’s room for improvement in how helmets are evaluated. “Both Virginia Tech and NFL protocols reward heavier helmets without consequence,” he says. Light has proposed updates that would normalize scoring for weight or incorporate drop-tower tests where impact energy is proportional to mass—a change that could fundamentally shift how helmets are designed across the industry. But the real test of any helmet isn’t in the lab. It’s on the field, according to Brush. Feedback from players at every level has been overwhelmingly positive. NFL players using the Apache report feeling quicker and more agile compared to when they wore heavier helmets from competitors like Riddell or Vicis. High school athletes have praised its comfort and visibility, noting that it feels more like wearing a cap than carrying extra weight on their heads. One linebacker told Brush that wearing the Apache was like removing blinders: “I can actually see my targets now.” Another player described finishing games without the usual neck strain he’d come to expect from heavier helmets—a small but significant change that could extend careers over time. The future Brush tells me the Apache design is the future of football helmets. He believes that flexible shells like those used in the Apache will become standard within the next decade, as evidence mounts that they mitigate impact energy more effectively than rigid designs. He also predicts greater adoption of additive manufacturing for position-specific liners tailored to individual needs—denser padding for linemen who take head-on hits versus lighter configurations for quarterbacks who need mobility and peripheral vision. Further down the line, he envisions helmets integrating technologies like impact sensors, communication devices, and even cameras—though he insists these features must not come at the expense of weight reduction or safety. For now, the Apache seems to already be the future of football helmets. Light Helmets sold 5,000 units in 2024, and it’s projecting sales of 50,000 helmets with increased production and word spreading across the community. As one AFC North coach remarked: “It’s not a helmet. It’s an unfair advantage.” But for Brush, success isn’t measured by sales figures or accolades—it’s about changing how people think about football safety and avoid traumatic brain injuries. “We didn’t set out to revolutionize anything,” he says simply. “We just stopped lying to ourselves about what works.” View the full article

March might be over but the madness continues into April. The NCAA’s 68 Division I men’s college basketball teams have battled it out on the courts in single-elimination play, leaving four teams standing. This year the Final Four have something in common: They all were granted No. 1 seeds on Selection Sunday. Duke, Florida, Auburn, and Houston were all safe bets when filling out a bracket, and they delivered on that promise. Here’s what you need to know heading into the remaining competition, and how to tune in. Do the No. 1 seed teams always make it to the end? The short answer is no. This is only the second time in history this has happened. The last time was 2008. Oftentimes there are surprise victories in the tournament or an underdog who comes from behind. That was not the case this year. When and where is the Final Four? Saturday, April 5, is the big day. First Auburn will face Florida at 6:09 p.m. ET at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Then Duke and Houston will battle it out at 8:49 p.m ET in the same location. This is the first time a Texas team has made the Final Four when the games were being hosted in the Lone Star State. One can speculate that the hometown crowd will be cheering extra hard for the University of Houston. Players to watch The Auburn Tigers are counting on forward Johni Broome to help them win their first NCAA men’s basketball title. The forward scared fans after exiting the qualifying game versus Michigan State with an arm injury. He returned to appreciative applause from the crowd and paid them back by making an impressive 3-pointer. Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. also knows a thing or two about 3-pointers. He made two of them to secure the Gators’ victory over Texas Tech. His team has not seen a Final Four in 11 years, so they have something to prove. In contrast, 2025 will mark Duke’s 18th appearance in Final Four play. Freshman Cooper Flagg wants to continue the Blue Devils’ legacy before potentially heading to the NBA. Houston forward Joseph Tugler knows the best offense is a good defense. He may average just 5.5 points a game but that’s because he is too busy making sure the other team doesn’t score. How to tune in CBS is broadcasting the Final Four. The network did so from 1982 to 2015. Beginning in 2016, it shared the responsibility with TBS, switching off every other year. 2025 belongs to CBS. This means traditional cable subscribers and those with an over-the-air antenna are covered. Those who cut the cord can look to live TV subscriptions such as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, and Fubo. Additionally, Paramount+ subscribers with the Showtime add-on can livestream the local CBS station. View the full article

Keeping our inboxes organized often feels like an overwhelming task. If you’re fortunate, yours contains only messages from people you wish to communicate with. Realistically, though, most are cluttered with newsletters, receipts, social media digests, and more. These emails aren’t necessarily spam, but they complicate the process of quickly sifting through to find the messages we want to see. This week, Apple introduced a feature to the Mac that aims to help cut through inbox clutter by automatically organizing messages into smart categories. The feature is new in the Mail app in macOS 15.4 and comes several months after Apple debuted the feature on the iPhone in iOS 18.2. Here’s how to use it. As of this week, the new Mail categories features are available on all Macs, iPhones, and iPads that are capable of running the latest operating systems. That’s macOS 15.4, iOS 18.2, and iPadOS 18.2 and later. The central concept behind Mail categories is that it uses on-device processing—meaning Apple is not reading anything—to sort your emails into five categories: Primary: Signified by a blue banner, this category displays personal messages to you as well as any messages with time-sensitive information (like a flight change notice). Transactions: Signified by a green banner, this category displays emails that contain receipts, such as from Amazon, shipping notices, and confirmations. Updates: Signified by a purple banner, this category contains all your newsletters, social media roundup digests, and more. Promotions: Signified by a pink banner, this category contains emails that relate to advertisements, such as an email from Target drawing your attention to its upcoming sale. All Mail: Signified by a black banner, this category shows you every email in your inbox in chronological order, including those from the categories above. By clicking or tapping on any of the category banners, you will quickly see all the emails that fit into that category displayed in your inbox. This can help decrease the time it takes you to find the email you’re looking for and eliminate the need to sort your emails yourself. As excited as many people are about Apple’s new Mail categories feature, it’s worth noting that Apple isn’t exactly innovating here. Google’s Gmail has offered automatic email categorization for years. How to use Apple’s new Mail category feature The best thing about Apple’s new Mail category feature on Mac, iPhone, and iPad is that it’s pretty much automatic. Once you have the email app set up to display categories, Apple’s email client will do everything. To make sure your Mail app is set up to display categories, do the following: On your Mac, iPhone, or iPad, select the inbox you want to display categories for. Now select the three-dots button (…). On Mac, tap “Show Mail Categories”; and on iPhone and/or iPad, tap “Categories.” You will now see a new button bar above your inbox with five buttons, each featuring a unique icon: a person (Primary), a shopping cart (Transactions), a word balloon (Updates), a megaphone (Promotions), and a drawer (All Mail). Select any of the buttons to quickly see the emails that are sorted into the respective categories. Easily reassign emails into other categories Apple also knows that some people may prefer to have emails from certain senders appear in a category other than the one Mail has assigned. That’s why the company also allows users to manually change the category designation for emails from the same sender. For example, if you would prefer that the emails you receive from your local movie theater be sorted into the Promotions category instead of the Updates category, you can automatically reassign it. Here’s how: On Mac, right-click on the email, select Categorize Sender, and then select the category you desire. On iPhone and iPad, tap on the email and then tap the three dots (…) at the top of the email. Select “Categorize Sender” from the dropdown menu, and then select the category you desire. One nice thing about the new Mail category feature is that it is not part of Apple Intelligence, which means it is not limited to Macs, iPhones, and iPads that can run Apple Intelligence. As long as your Mac can run macOS Sequoia and your iPhone and iPad can run iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, respectively, you can take advantage of the new Mail categorization features right now. Of course, it’s worth noting that not everyone may like the new Mail categorization feature. And if you’re one of them, there’s an easy way to turn it off. Simply go to your inbox and select the three dots button (…). On Mac, click “Show Mail Categories” so the checkmark next to it disappears. On iPhone and iPad, tap “List View” and the Categories feature will be hidden. View the full article